If you have ever been a car owner you know how easy it is to go from a perfectly purring vehicle to a broken down piece of metal. Though vehicles are one of the best modes of transportation they are not always the most reliable. If you are car repair savvy but you need just the right repair manual or diagram, the library is the place for you! We offer our customers a variety of print resources as well as databases that you can access from your home computer and here at the library.

Our print resource collection contains some great automotive maintenance and repair manuals. These include Mitchell Repair Information Company Manuals and Chilton Automotive Books. Helpful search terms that can lead you to these resources are: “Mitchell Manuals, Inc.” as an author search and “Chilton Automotive Books” as a series search. These manuals include information about domestic cars, domestic light trucks and vans, and imported cars, light trucks and vans.

We not only have these great print resources but also have online databases that can meet your automotive repair needs, Auto Repair Reference Center (ARRC) and AllData. The ARRC can be accessed from your home computer from the Library’s Website. This database is the most comprehensive collection of automobile repair reference information and contains repair and maintenance information on most major manufacturers of domestic and imported vehicles. AllData is a professional-grade resource for car and truck maintenance and repair for vehicles that can be accessed from the library’s in-house computers.

These resources are also great if you are looking to restore that classic car that’s been sitting in your garage just waiting for you to work on it. For example, we own a Hayne’s Car Restorer’s Manual. Also the ARRC database covers vehicles from 1954-2015 and AllData covers vehicles from 1982-2015. So if you have a 1954 Volkswagen Beetle and you’re looking to have it run like new, the ARRC should be your next stop!

What car project are you working on this summer? And as always, remember you are welcome to stop at Information & Reference if you need assistance with finding just the right manual for your summer project!