Charles County Public Library - La Plata Branch
🏢 Charles County Public Library · La Plata, Maryland
Charles County Public Library - La Plata Branch
At the corner of Garrett and Charles Streets in La Plata, the flagship branch of Charles County Public Library has been the county's intellectual heart since 1966 — first organized in 1922 when books were stacked on the second floor of the county jail. Today the branch offers passport and notary services, four evenings open until 8 p.m., and access to the COSMOS shared catalog covering three Southern Maryland library systems.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–8pm |
| Thursday | 9am–8pm |
| Friday | 1pm–5pm |
| Saturday | 9am–5pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 2 Garrett Avenue, La Plata, MD 20646
Phone: (301) 934-9001
Website: ccplonline.org
Plus Code: 87C5G2JH+4J (La Plata, MD)
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📖 About Charles County Public Library - La Plata Branch
Charles County Public Library began in 1922 when the Homemakers' Clubs of Charles County, aided by Extension Agent Paul Dennis 'P.D.' Brown, set up a collection of 3,000 volumes in the second floor of the old La Plata town jail — with additional books delivered by railroad from Baltimore's Enoch Pratt Free Library. Funded entirely by private donations for nearly three decades, the library gained its Board of Trustees in 1950, hired its first full-time librarian, and added a bookmobile to serve the far reaches of Charles County. The La Plata branch moved into its current building at the corner of Garrett and Charles Streets in summer 1966 and has remained there ever since, growing alongside the county as it transformed from a largely rural tobacco-farming region to one of the fastest-growing counties in Maryland. Today the branch anchors a four-location public system (La Plata, Waldorf P.D. Brown Memorial, Waldorf West, and Potomac Branch in Indian Head) with more than 80 staff and 200,000 volumes. It offers U.S. passport acceptance, notary services, telehealth booths, a Drop the Mic recording studio at the P.D. Brown branch, and shares the COSMOS catalog with Calvert Library and St. Mary's County Library for easy inter-county borrowing.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Founded 1922 — books first housed on the second floor of La Plata's old county jail, delivered partly by railroad from Baltimore's Enoch Pratt Free Library
- Current building at Garrett & Charles Streets opened 1966; the library now serves a fast-growing Southern Maryland county with 200,000+ volumes across four branches
- U.S. passport acceptance and notary services available at this branch
- COSMOS shared catalog connects cardholders to Calvert Library and St. Mary's County Library collections
- Part of the Marina/SHAREit statewide interlibrary loan network for cross-Maryland borrowing
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Charles County cardholders can borrow, stream, and watch free with these digital resources:
📚 Services
- U.S. passport acceptance — applications processed at the La Plata branch
- Notary services available at CCPL branches
- Telehealth booths for private virtual health appointments
- Public computers, wireless internet, printing, scanning, copying and faxing
- Meeting room reservations for community use
- Mobile printing, curbside pickup and Library of Things checkout
🎸 Programs
- Imagination Library — free monthly books for Charles County children under five
- Babies & Pre-K storytimes and family literacy programs
- Teen and adult programming and reading challenges
- AI Ready workshops and digital literacy classes
- Virtual Author Speaker Series (Behind the Story)
- Community outreach via the Mobile Library and school visits
📍 Nearby Libraries in Southern Maryland
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How did Charles County Public Library start, and why is the Waldorf branch named P.D. Brown?
The library was founded in 1922 by the Homemakers' Clubs of Charles County with help from Extension Agent Paul Dennis 'P.D.' Brown, who was instrumental in getting the community to support a public library. The first collection was housed on the second floor of the La Plata jail. When the Waldorf branch opened at its permanent location in 1981, it was named the P.D. Brown Memorial Branch to honor the library's founder.
Does the La Plata branch offer U.S. passport services?
Yes. The La Plata Branch at 2 Garrett Avenue accepts U.S. passport applications. Call (301) 934-9001 for current appointment availability and a list of required documents. Notary services are also available at CCPL branches.
What is the COSMOS catalog and what other libraries does my CCPL card unlock?
COSMOS is the shared catalog for Charles County Public Library, Calvert Library (Prince Frederick), and St. Mary's County Library. A single CCPL card lets you search all three systems, place holds, and pick up items at any participating branch. The library also participates in Marina/SHAREit for statewide interlibrary loans across Maryland.
What are the regular hours at the La Plata branch?
The La Plata branch is open Monday through Thursday 9 a.m.–8 p.m., Friday 1 p.m.–5 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m.–5 p.m. The library is closed on Sundays. The four evenings open until 8 p.m. make it convenient for residents who work during the day.
🛂 This library offers U.S. passport services. See how library passport acceptance works — requirements, fees and appointments — and find other passport acceptance libraries by state.
📋 This library offers notary services. See what a library notary can do — what to bring, fees and appointments — and find other libraries with a notary notary services by state.
🧰 This library lends a “Library of Things.” See what you can borrow besides books and find other libraries with a Library of Things Library of Things by state.
🖨 This library offers printing, copying & fax. See how library printing, copying, scanning and fax services work — costs and mobile printing — and find other libraries that offer them printing & fax by state.
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✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.