Texas State Library & Archives Commission
Every resident of Texas has free access to a statewide library system run by Texas State Library & Archives Commission. With a local library card, students, parents, and teachers can use research databases, ebooks and audiobooks, and learning programs at no cost. Here is what is available and how to get it.
Texas public libraries at a glance
Research databases: TexShare Databases
TexShare Databases is Texas's free statewide research service.
Resources students can use inside TexShare Databases include:
- EBSCO (eBook Collection, LearningExpress Library + Job & Career Accelerator + PrepSTEP)
- Gale In Context (Elementary, Middle, High School, College, Science, Biography)
- Gale Opposing Viewpoints & Chilton
- Gale National Geographic Kids & Miss Humblebee's Academy
- ProQuest (HeritageQuest, Newspapers.com Texas Edition, Sanborn Maps)
- TeachingBooks
Ebooks & audiobooks: EBSCO eBook Collection and Gale eBooks (within TexShare), free with a library card.
Accessible reading & talking books
Students and family members who cannot read standard print (because of a visual, physical, or reading disability such as dyslexia) can get free audiobooks and braille through Talking Book Program, part of the national NLS network and its BARD download service. The Talking Book Program (TBP) at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, an NLS network library, serves Texas residents of any age with blindness or a visual, physical, or reading disability; the application is certified by a professional.
Find a library & get a card
Use the official locator to find your nearest Texas public library, hours, and how to get a card. Find a library →