Available for Borrowing

(All have three-week loan periods, except for new fiction and new non-fiction)

Fiction for Adults Includes:

• New Fiction: fiction and mystery books acquired within the last six months
• Fiction and Mystery—older than six months
• Book Club Selections: multiple copies of new and older books with a larger type face
• Large Print: a collection of new and older books with a larger type face
• Popular Paperbacks: paperback editions of popular fiction and romance

Adult Nonfiction

• New Nonfiction: nonfiction books acquired within the last six months
• Nonfiction—older than six months
• Travel: guides to various destinations
• Biography Collection
• Connecticut Shelf

Children’s Books:

• Print Materials
  • Picture books (fiction): for preschool through kindergarten (JPB)
  • Board books: for preschoolers (JPB board)
  • Read-along sets: picture books with CDs (JRA)
  • Folk tales and fairy tales: they are considered nonfiction in the library’s classification system and are assigned call numbers between JNF 398.2 – 398.4; however, these books are kept in their own separate location
  • Parent shelf: parenting books for children up to the teenage years; most books for parenting teenagers are shelved in the adult nonfiction collection (PS)
  • Nonfiction: information books for preschool through eighth grade (JNF)
  • Very easy readers: for children just learning to read – grades K-1 (JVE)
  • Easy readers: for children who have basic reading skills and need practice to improve fluency; grades K-2; (JER)
  • Beginning chapter books: for more skilled readers making the transition to longer books; grade 2-3; (JBC)
  • Juvenile fiction (children’s chapter books): for confident readers in grades 2-6 Picture books with subjects appropriate for children older than kindergarteners are also placed in this category. (J)
    (NOTE: Grade levels are provided for young readers only; many of these books will be of interest to older or younger children based on the subject matter of the books.)
  • Fiction and nonfiction books of special interest to teenagers in grades 6-12, (which may include content for the more mature reader), are shelved in the library’s teen/young adult collection (YA or YNF)
• Audiovisual Materials
  • DVDs and videotapes especially for children preschool to age 10 (JVR)
  • Audio books on CD (K-12) (JBT CD)
  • Language instruction for children in audio/visual formats (JLA)

Audiobooks

Fiction and nonfiction audiobook selection (supported by the Muhlethaler Foundation)
Children and Teen Audiobooks and MP3 books

Music

Collection of popular and classic music in all genres

24/7 Our Downloadable Library Collections

The library subscribes to several services that allow our cardholders to download audiobooks, ebooks, movies, magazine issues, comic books, music, and more for adults and children of all ages. Click to learn more.

Magazines and Newspapers

The library subscribes to popular magazines and journals. These periodicals are listed in our catalog. In addition, local and major newspapers are available for reading in the library.

Special Collections @ MTL

Mark Twain Collection

The library owns 300 of the original books given by Mark Twain to establish the library These are the only titles that remain of about 3,000 that Twain donated from his personal library. The New York Times featured a story about this collection on the occasion of the library’s 100th anniversary. They are a rare treasure and are not for loan. Use of these books is by permission of the Library Director and by appointment only.

The library also collects books about Mark Twain, including biographies, essays, satirical works, notebooks, and literary criticisms. These books may be borrowed. And of course, if Twain wrote it, we have a copy!

Massie Collection

Donated by Reginald Massie, a former Georgetown resident. It contains over 150 books about the Civil War, as well as books on art.

Hutchinson Collection

A collection of some 1,500 books representing the lifetime interests of the late Redding resident Hester LaGallienne Hutchinson, and given to the library by her husband, Robert, after her death. The collection consists of material on Eastern religions, beliefs and customs of ancient Egypt, and books on Islam, philosophy, yoga, theosophy, and the occult. Translations of sacred books are well represented. These titles may be used in the library only.