The Montgomery County Library system is a fantastic resource for the area. There are over 20 libraries across the county with just about any mainstream book you might need (for lesser known works and university press editions you might need to check a college library like UMD's McKeldin). The system is all interconnected so if there is a book that you want from another library, you can place a hold or request for it to be sent to your library of choice. Their entire card catalog is now located online, so you can check to see where the book that you want is in. Silver Spring is not the best of the libraries; it is one of the older ones and kind of small. But it does have a relatively good selection of books and is conveniently located near DTSS. Also Silver Spring is one of a few of the libraries that is open on Sundays from 1-5 during the school year. They also have a pretty extensive books on tape selection. My favorite branches to visit are the recently remodeled Bethesda Regional or Long Branch.
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