Library

Get to know the Army general libraries. You will find something for soldiers and families in all locations and military stages. There are 62 libraries across seven countries with physical collections in all formats. They support professional, educational and recreational reading.

Installation libraries play an important role for soldiers. They offer technical publications to support job requirements and career development. Soldiers can earn college degrees and certifications, update promotion packages, prepare for transition or retirement and more. Computers are available for completing training or personal education.

These libraries are also a “community couch” with programming, study and meeting spaces. There is something for everyone, including book clubs, story times and walks, game and movie nights. A themed summer reading program provides family fun. Evening and weekend hours accommodate busy schedules.

Makerspaces are now available in many Army libraries. All ages can explore and enjoy science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics.

Soldiers and their dependents who are deployed or in remote locations can use the Army MWR Library Online. It offers a wide variety of electronic databases and downloadable content. Contact your installation library for questions about registration. If you’re not near an installation library, contact usarmy.mwr.library@mail.mil.

All Defense Department service members and their families can also use the online DOD MWR Libraries. The libraries have a wide range of online resources for children and adults. Access free tutoring, finance and language classes, career transition assistance, car care advice, legal forms and much more. Visit Military OneSource today to see what the DOD MWR Libraries can do for you and your family.

The Thomas Lee Hall Library is located at 4679 Liberty Division Ave., at the corner of Strom Thurmond Blvd and Liberty Division Ave.  The Library is open for in-person services, Monday - Thursday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, noon-5 p.m.

• The Library is closed Sundays and Federal Holidays, and Federal Holiday weekends.

To contact the Library, call 803-751-5589/4816 or visit the website https://jackson.armymwr.com/programs/thomas-lee-hall-library.

Our library collection holds approximately 40,000 items which include popular fiction, non-fiction, young adult, junior, and children's literature, e-books and eAudiobooks, as well as DVDs, Blu-rays, and video games.

Waiting lists are available for all items in our collection.  Patrons will be added to the waiting list in the order in which the request is received.  Inter Library Loan (ILL) services are also available for limited material types.  Complete a Purchase Suggestion Form for title recommendations.

Online homework help tools for K-12 students and research tools for higher education students are available 24/7.  Additional online resources include language learning programs such as Mango Languages, Ancestry.com, digital newspapers, and digital magazines, etc.

VIRTUAL LIBRARY ACCOUNTS:

Eligibility:

All persons with a valid Military ID.

REGULAR LIBRARY ACCOUNTS:

Eligibility:

All persons with a valid Military ID and permanent residency in Columbia or on Fort Jackson, including:  Active Duty, Reserve, National Guard, retired, civilians, and contractors.

What You Will Need

• Your military ID

YOUTH ACCOUNTS:

Unless an account has already been established for the sponsor, applications for family members under the age of 18 must be completed in the library with both child and parent/legal guardian present.  All family members will be linked to the sponsor's account.

Parents are encouraged to inform the library of any restrictions they desire for their children's' accounts (i.e. no computer use, no DVDs, no "M" rated games, etc).

Sponsors are ultimately responsible for all family members and their use of library resources.

SHORT TERM LIBRARY ACCOUNTS:

Eligibility:

• Students attending school or training at Fort Jackson (AIT, SSI, Chaplain School, etc.)
• Military and family stationed at Fort Jackson but awaiting permanent residency.
• Contractors working at Fort Jackson but reside somewhere else when contract is complete.

Contractors working at Fort Jackson but reside somewhere else when contract is complete.

What You Will Need:

• Valid military ID

**Due to clearance procedures, temporary library accounts will expire five days prior to the departure date stated on his/her orders.

**Patrons must have at least three weeks remaining at Fort Jackson in order to establish a borrowing account.

**Transient individuals without orders, those who are departing the installation within 21 days, or have already cleared with Fort Jackson, will be able to borrow non-accountable paperbacks from the free trade racks.

COMPUTER USE ONLY ACCOUNTS:

This account is for the patron who will be using computers but not eligible for or not interested in borrowing materials.

BORROWING GUIDELINES:

Loan Periods:

• DVD/Blu-Ray and video games:  7 days (limit 10 per account)
• TV series videos:  14 days
• All other materials:  21 days

Renewals:

• Renewals are automatic as long as the item has not been requested by another library user.
• The renewal period for most items is 21 days (7 days for DVDs and 14 days for TV series).
• Items may be renewed up to 2 times.

Restrictions:

**Account holder must be present (i.e., parents may not check out 10 DVDs and then ask to check out the next 10 on their child's card).

**Youth accounts may not check out DVDs with an "R" rating unless they are 17 years of age.

**Temp/Youth patrons equals 5 DVDs per account/20 total items.

Overdue Materials:

• Army MWR libraries do not charge fines for overdue material.  However, patrons will have to pay for items considered lost by the library (see below).
• If any items become overdue for 7 days or more, patron borrowing and renewal privileges will be suspended until the item(s) is returned.
• Materials returned long past the due date disrupts borrowing privileges of other library users.  Patrons who abuse library borrowing policies, or are habitually overdue, will be put on a 30 day suspension at the discretion of the library staff.

Lost Items:

• The library considers material "lost" if an item has been overdue for 30 days.  Courtesy email notices are system generated three days prior to item due dates and request that the patron either return or renew their items.  Patrons are then notified via email seven, 14 and 30 days after the items are due.  The final notification states that the items are in a "billed" status and the charges will be processed after another 30-day grace period.  After the 30-day grace period, unresolved delinquent accounts will be sent to the U.S. Treasury cross-servicing debt collection program (FedDebt System).  Once an account is sent to collections, the library is no longer available to settle the account until payment is resolved between the patron and the U.S. Treasury.
• Patrons who feel they have returned the lost item(s) to the library can request to mark items as "claims return".  This will grant an additional 30 days to find the material before payment is required.
• The preferred method for replacing lost items is the purchase of a replacement copy (this may be a used copy in good condition).
• The library will accept payment for lost items in forms of exact cash, and personal or cashier's checks made payment to "IMWR Fund".
• Sponsors are ultimately responsible for all family member accounts and debts that may be incurred.

Damaged Material:

• Materials returned damaged or determined not acceptable condition for other borrowers must be paid for or replaced.  Library staff examines material upon checkout and check in to access condition.

LIBRARY COMPUTER USE:

• All public access computers in the Thomas Lee Hall Post Library may be used by adults and children, ages 13 and older with a valid military I.D. card.
• Computer session begins with 120 minutes. If no one is waiting; users may continue their session as time permits.
• Computer availability and usage ends 15 minutes prior to the library's closing time.

CAC CARD USE:

• All library computers are equipped with CAC Card readers but we cannot guarantee all functions are possible (i.e., registering a CAC with AKO, etc.).

INTERNET AND WIRELESS INTERNET ACCESS:

• WEP and WPA are the disabled.  Please use wireless internet at your own risk.
• Patrons are responsible for having the proper hardware, software, and network settings on their wireless device to connect to the wireless network.  Library staff are not able to provide technical assistance related to patrons' wireless devices, or assist in making changes to those devices’ network settings, software, and/or hardware configuration, or to install any equipment, accessories or software on to patron devices.

PRINTING/SCANNING/PHOTOCOPY/FAX SERVICES:

• Black and white prints $.10; color prints $.25. 
• A scanner / email computer is available but not fax services.  Fax services are available at the UPS store at the main PX.
• Printing from personal laptop computers via the library's wireless internet service is not available.

CHILDREN AT THE LIBRARY:

Sponsors, legal guardians, and/or parents are solely responsible for supervising their children in accordance with Fort Jackson Garrison Child Safety Policy, and ensuring they also adhere to the library policies.

• If staff members observe potentially unsafe situations, they will intervene if necessary.
• In case of an emergency, violation of Garrison policy involving an unattended child, or for child remaining at the library after closing, the military police will be notified and the child will be placed in their custody.

• All children, not accompanied with a parent or guardian, are required to have with them a valid military I.D., and an established library account containing an address and telephone number for parents (or an emergency point of contact).