Frequently Asked Questions

Please check out our locations and hours page where you will find the addresses to all six locations in the district along with service hours and contact information.

Yes! Curbside service is available at all locations. Please visit our Curbside service page for more information.

There are many ways you can help your library! Please visit our donate page for information on how to volunteer, as well as how to donate funds or books/materials. You can also join the the Friends of Traverse Area District Library, The Friends are an enthusiastic group of men and women who support the mission of the Traverse Area District Library (TADL) and contribute their funds and/or time and creativity to further TADL’s mission to enrich our community.

You can learn more about joining our team and review all open positions at Traverse Area District Library on our Job Openings page.

In a board policy update (June, 2022) our bulletin board policy changed to limit the bulletin board items we accept to post to items from other TADL libraries or events that include TADL as an official partner. We previously did not have an area dedicated to events at other TADL libraries.

If you are looking for current events you can pick up a free community publication in the Main Library vestibule or ask our Reference Desk to help you with a computer search.

If you are looking for a place to post flyers you can find bulletin boards at grocery stores, coffee shops, gas stations, and other locations in town. There are many free community calendars online where you can post your event, in addition to social media.

We only share event and program on TADL websites and social media when TADL is a partner to the event or program.

The library subscribes to certain databases where the licensing requires limiting users to those whose tax dollars directly come to the Traverse Area District Library. The Traverse Area District Library Taxing District includes residents of Grand Traverse County, Elmwood Township, Almira Township, and Inland Townships. For more details on library card eligibility visit our Get a card page.

The very best way is to check our online calendar. You can also subscribe to our monthly email newsletter in the green bar at the bottom of this page. Events and programs are also featured on social media, including Facebook (our main page), Facebook TADL Kids (our children's/young family page) and Instagram (@notjustbooks).

Some programs are recorded, you can find recordings on our YouTube channel.

Please note: TADL is a unique library system and we have three member libraries (Fife Lake Public Library, Interlochen Public Library - IPL, and Peninsula Community Library - PCL). The Interlochen Public Library and the Peninsula Community Library maintain their own websites, event calendars, social media pages, and newsletters. 

There are three ways most people suggest items for our collection:

1) Mention it to a librarian!

2) Put a note in our suggestion box - we review everything in our suggestion boxes multiple times a month. If you put a note in a suggestion box for an item it will get forwarded to the appropriate department for consideration.

3) Fill out our online form.

Thank you for your ideas!

Information about what is required to obtain a library card, who can get a card, and an application form can be found at: https://catalog.tadl.org/card

You can update most of the information on your library account by visiting: https://catalog.tadl.org/main/preferences

Some information like your mailing address can only be updated by visiting a library location and providing proof of residency.

You can request a password reset by visiting the link below and then clicking the forgot password link below the "Sign in Button":

https://catalog.tadl.org/main/preferences

You will then be sent an email that contains a link to reset your password. Please check your spam if you do not receive an email within five minutes of making a request.

You can renew items by logging into your account or via the TADL Mobile App.

We will automatically try to renew any eligible items on their due dates as well. 

To renew MelCat items you will need to login to your MyMeL account. 

We will hold any TADL items for 6 days and MeLCat items will be held for 10 days.

Different item types have different checkout durations. While most of the items in our collection no longer have late fees, some very popular or expensive items still do. Please review our lending periods and fines page for more information.

Yes. We are part of the MeLCat system and also offer interlibrary loan services. You can learn more about these services on our MeLCat and Interlibrary Loan page.

Our download and stream options are available here. 

Click on More Details for information on each one.

Click View Resource to sign in and see what items are available.

Each service has different amounts of items you can borrow and put on hold.

Yes, the library has a variety of book clubs you can join. Please visit our book club page and check our calendar of events for upcoming book club meetings and information on what book will be discussed next. 

To reserve a study room select Services at the top of the page, and then the Meeting Room icon will appear just below on the left. Here is a quick link to our room reservation page.

The Library of Things is the library's collection of non-media materials like wireless hotspots, baking pans, musical instruments, board games, and more. You can find more information on our Library of Things page.

Yes - but please review our complete notary guidelines before coming to the library for notary services.

Library notary staff does not offer electronic/digital notary services and does not/cannot notarize the following (see other notary resources below):

• Documents outside of the library premises (for mobile notaries, see resources below)
• Real Estate Transactions: Mortgages, Deeds, Closing Documents, etc.
• I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification forms
• Michigan Vital Records: Birth Death, Marriage, Divorce (these are done by State and County officials)
• Certify or notarize that a document/record is an original or true copy of another record. In Michigan, a notary can only acknowledge the signature of the issuer or holder (person on the document) making a true copy statement on, or attached to, the document.
• Documents written in a language other than English.
• Provide a Medallion signature guarantee stamp (these are done through a financial institution participating in the Medallion program).
• Provide an Apostille (this is issued by your Secretary of State’s office or Notary Commissioning Agency).

Library notaries reserve the right to decline any document for any reason.

Visit tadl.org/localhistory to access our digital photo collection and research links. You can also find more questions and answers there specifically related to the local history collection.

All you need to do is connect to the wireless network labeled "tadl-patron-wireless". No password is required

Public computers, printers, copiers, scanners, and fax machines are available at all Traverse Area District Library locations. Please checkout our Computers & Technology page to learn more.