All Amarillo Public Library branches will be closed on Monday, January 19, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr Day.

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get a library card

Open the door to endless possibilities

The Amarillo Public Library was founded 125 years ago by a handful of women in the Just Us Girls Club with 123 books. Today, the Amarillo Public Library System consists of a Central (Downtown) Library and four branches, serving well over two thousand people every day. The library collection includes more than 800,000 books, magazines, and media materials, which circulate over two million times per year. We also maintain 83 public computers that supply more than 100,000 hours of internet access per year.

Interested in joining our amazing community of book lovers? Learn how to get your own library card below.

The front of an Amarillo Public Library card featuring the logo, which includes book icons, and the library's website
The Amarillo Public Library's kid's card featuring Fable the dragon

Who can get a library card?

You are eligible for a FREE library card if:

  • You live within Amarillo city limits
  • You own property within Amarillo city limits
  • Children under 16 have additional requirements outlined below

Anyone else is welcome to purchase a library card for $25 per year or get cards for all members of your household for $45 per year.

How do I apply for a Library Card?

You can apply for a library card online or in person at any of our library branches. When applying in person, you can either bring a completed application or fill one out on the spot—just be sure to bring a government-issued photo ID and proof of residency.

English Paper Application
Spanish Paper Application
Apply online

FAQ and Policies

Yes! However, children under 16 must be accompanied by a guardian to obtain one. Their guardian will need to sign a responsibility statement and provide proof of eligibility.

Be sure to call one of our branches to report your lost card immediately so it can be disabled to prevent unauthorized use.

You can purchase a replacement card for $1.

Cards expire annually and must be renewed in person. You’ll need to show your ID and proof of address when renewing it.

Harrington Library Consortium Card Holders from outside Amarillo (Canyon, Hereford, Borger, etc.) can access most of our services.

TexShare cardholders can borrow materials directly from other participating libraries across Texas. To do this, go to your home library, ask for a TexShare card, and present it to other state libraries to check out resources. Expires every six months.

Library card applicants must agree to the following policies to receive a card:

You may have up to 50 items checked out on a card at any time, with a limit of 4 movies.

Books: Two weeks with a limit of three renewals

Movies: Two weeks with a limit of three renewals

Magazines: Physical magazines remain at the library location. Digital magazines may be accessed through the PressReader app, which is available online or through a free downloadable app. To access the service, select Amarillo Public Library as your library and login with your library card number and PIN.

Library of Things: Items are available to patrons who have had an active card for at least 90 days and are 18 years or older. Loan periods vary by item. Click here to learn more about the Library of Things.

Special collections or devices: Special collections can not be removed from the library and require an appointment for viewing.  

Most items can be renewed if they are not on hold for another patron. Overdue items cannot be renewed online.

You can renew items by 

  • Logging in to your library account online with your card number and PIN
  • Calling any Amarillo Public Library Circulation Desk: 
    • Downtown Library: 806-378-3054 
    • Southwest Branch: 806-359-2094 
    • North Branch: 806-381-7931 
    • Northwest Branch: 806-359-2035 
    • East Branch: 806-342-1589 
  • Visiting a library branch and asking a member of our team for assistance

Place a hold to reserve items currently checked out or to request materials from another branch. You can do this by 

  • Logging in to your library account online with your card number and PIN
  • Visiting a library branch and asking staff for assistance 
  • Requesting an Interlibrary Loan for materials not available locally from participating libraries across the country. There is a $3.00 fee for each filled request.  

Once your hold has arrived at your requested pickup location, you will be notified by phone, email, or text, depending on your preferred method of communication. Holds must be picked up within three days. 

There are no fees for placing items on hold if they are available through the Amarillo Public Library system.

  • The late fee for books is 15¢ per day.
  • The late fee for movies and family passes is $1 per day.
  • The late fee for ILL materials is 50¢ per day.
  • Other overdue fees apply to items checked out from the Library of Things
 
If you lose an item, you will be charged the replacement cost plus a processing fee. If you’re able to find the item within 12 months of being charged, we will refund the replacement cost, but the processing fee is non-refundable.
 
If an item is severely damaged—including water damage, broken spines, mold, or strong odors that cannot be removed—you will be charged the replacement cost plus a processing fee.
 
The processing fee is $5 for books and $7 for nonprint items such as audiobooks, DVDs, or audio-enhanced read-alongs.
 
Note: Patrons may not purchase their own replacement items.
 
If you accrue fines of $5 or more, your access to online resources such as PressReader and CloudLibrary will be suspended and you will not be able to use public access computers or library Wi-Fi.
 
Patrons with fines above $5 may continue to check out library materials provided a payment of at least $1 is made at each checkout.
 
If paying library fines creates a financial hardship, please contact library administration. 
To resolve a fine, you can 
  • Pay with a debit or credit card over the phone if the fine exceeds $5
  • Visit your Amarillo Public Library to pay by cash, card, or check. $5 is the minimum payment amount for credit cards.

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About Translations on Amarillo.gov

The City of Amarillo offers translations of content on Amarillo.gov through the Google Translate web translator (translate.google.com). Because Google Translate is an external service, the City does not control the quality or accuracy of translated content. As a result, some translations may contain inaccuracies, and there may be issues with the appearance of translated pages, including errors in images.

If you encounter incorrect or substandard translations, you can help improve them by contributing better translations using Google Translate:

  1. Hover over any text containing an error, and a pop-up box will appear.
  2. Click “Contribute a better translation.”
  3. Double-click the area of the pop-up that says “Click a word for alternative translations, or double-click to edit directly.”
  4. Make your edits directly in the text box.
  5. Press “Contribute” to submit your suggested changes.

For more information on contributing to Google Translate, visit Google Translate’s help page.

Please note that the City of Amarillo does not control the process by which contributed translations are incorporated into Google Translate.

The City of Amarillo is dedicated to enhancing the accessibility and multilingual content available on our website.

City of Amarillo: Property Taxes Rebated Per Year by Agreement Type 

Overview 

The chart shows the dollar amounts of property taxes rebated per year over the last five fiscal years, broken down by agreement type. There were no Chapter 380 property tax rebates in the first two years listed. The total amount increased slightly each year, with a more significant increase in the most recent year. 

Values 

Numerical values presented on the image: 

 

Fiscal Year 2020/2021 

Fiscal Year 2021/2022 

Fiscal Year 2022/2023 

Fiscal Year 2023/2024 

Fiscal Year 2024/2025 

Chapter 311 

$533,080 

$547,426 

$574,947 

$591,249 

$821,350 

Chapter 380 

$0 

$0 

$37,387 

$39,172 

$61,013 

Presentation 

The bar chart shows the amount of property taxes rebated in the past five fiscal years, broken down by agreement type. The horizontal axis shows each of the past five fiscal years and the vertical axis shows the dollar amount rebated. For each fiscal year there is vertical column, comprised of two stacked columns, each of which representing the different agreement types. 

City of Amarillo: Number of Tax Abatements Granted Per Year 

Overview 

The chart shows the number of businesses that received a tax abatement from the City of Amarillo in the past five fiscal years. The 2020/21 and 2021/22 fiscal years each had four active abatements, 2022/23 had five, and 2023/24 and 2024/25 each had seven. 

Values 

Numerical values presented on the image: 

 

Fiscal Year 2020/2021 

Fiscal Year 2021/2022 

Fiscal Year 2022/2023 

Fiscal Year 2023/2024 

Fiscal Year 2024/2025 

Active Abatements Per Year 

4 

4 

5 

7 

7 

Presentation 

The bar chart shows the number of businesses that received a tax abatement from the City of Amarillo in the past five fiscal years. The horizontal axis shows each of the past five fiscal years and the vertical axis shows the number of active abatements each year. Each year has one column, with the height indicating number of active abatements in that year.

Amount of Taxes Abated Per Year 

Overview 

The chart shows the dollar amounts abated over the past five fiscal years from Chapter 312 tax abatement agreements. Each fiscal year shows a larger dollar amount abated, with minor growth over the first three years, a higher increase in the fourth year, and minor growth again in the fifth year. 

Values 

Numerical values presented on the image: 

 

Fiscal Year 2020/2021 

Fiscal Year 2021/2022 

Fiscal Year 2022/2023 

Fiscal Year 2023/2024 

Fiscal Year 2024/2025 

Taxes Abated by City of Amarillo 

$510,061 

$623,017 

$679,849 

$965,261 

$1,143,899 

Total Abated by All Entities Including City of Amarillo 

$1,569,512 

$1,926,332 

$2,103,099 

$2,884,936 

$2,959,496 

Presentation 

The bar chart represents the amount of taxes abated over the past five fiscal years. The horizontal axis shows each of the past five fiscal years and the vertical axis shows the dollar amount abated. The bar representing taxes abated by the City of Amarillo is sightly offset to the side of the bar representing the amount abated by all participating tax entities for each fiscal year. This shows that the amount abated by the City of Amarillo is a part of the total amount abated by all entities.

City of Amarillo: Taxes Rebated Per Year by Type 

Overview 

This chart shows the dollar amounts rebated by the City of Amarillo from economic development incentive agreements over the past five fiscal years. Each year is broken down by rebate type, including property tax rebates, hotel occupancy tax rebates, and sales tax rebates. Each fiscal year shows a slight increase in total dollars rebated, with a more drastic increase in the most recent fiscal year. 

Values 

Numerical values presented on the image: 

 

Fiscal Year 2020/2021 

Fiscal Year 2021/2022 

Fiscal Year 2022/2023 

Fiscal Year 2023/2024 

Fiscal Year 2024/2025 

Property Tax Rebates 

$533,080 

$547,426 

$612,334 

$630,421 

$882,363 

Hotel Occupancy Tax Rebates 

$686,747 

$753,112 

$794,828 

$871,423 

$808,348 

Sales Tax Rebates 

$0 

$21,046 

$55,528 

$45,881 

$368,716 

 

Presentation 

The bar chart represents the amount rebated by the City of Amarillo for each type of tax rebate over the past five fiscal years. The horizontal axis shows each of the past five fiscal years and the vertical axis shows the dollar amount rebated. The different rebate types are stacked vertically in each fiscal year, with the height representing the total dollar amount rebated.