Do you take book donations?

We take new & used hardback/paperback books in good to excellent condition, with a maximum of two boxes/bags a week per household. ​We are unable to accept textbooks, encyclopedias, and dictionaries. Thank you!

 

Who can get a free library card?

Library cards are available to everyone, regardless of where you live. Patrons under eighteen need a parent or guardian’s permission.

 

How can I get a free library card?  

Fill out our online application by clicking the button below. You’ll need to give your name, email address, and phone number, and for those under eighteen, we require parental permission. 

​

​​​​​​​

​

​

​

​

 

Why is Templeton Library not a county library? ​​​

San Luis Obispo County closed the original Templeton Library following the passage of Proposition 13 in 1979 and never reopened it. In 2000, the Templeton Community Library Association (TCLA) formed to carry forward the vision of a community library.

​

TCLA and the county agreed to a 50-50 partnership to fund construction. By 2019, TCLA had raised its half of the funds—but the county was unable to contribute its share. Then COVID-19 hit, and county officials told TCLA to proceed with construction without any guarantee of funding to operate the library. Undeterred, TCLA scaled back the plans, built and furnished the library entirely with community support, and opened Templeton Library on January 3, 2023—staffed entirely by volunteers and operating its own independent catalog system.

​

A Funding Inequity

Despite this achievement, a significant inequity remains. SLO County collects the 1.6 percent of Templeton property taxes designated for library services—yet none of those funds are returned to Templeton. For over forty-five years, Templeton residents have contributed to a pool that funds fourteen other county library branches. Templeton Community Services District customers alone pay more than $318,047 annually to the county, and they represent only a portion of residents in the 93465 zip code area.

​

TCLA has formally requested that the County review this disparity and is actively pursuing a tax exchange that would direct library services tax revenue back to the community that generates it. See our History page for more information on the history of libraries in Templeton and our Funding Updates page for the latest updates on this issue. 

​​

​