Fulton County Library System facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fulton County Library System
Atlanta Central Library
Established	1902; 123 years ago (1902)
Location	Atlanta, Georgia
Branches	34
Collection
Size	2,790,177 (2017)
Access and use
Circulation	2,855,142 (2017)
Population served	1,052,908 (2017)
Members	626,650 (2017)
Other information
Director	Gayle H. Holloman

The Fulton County Library System is a group of public libraries that serve the City of Atlanta and Fulton County in Georgia. Fulton County manages this library system. It includes the Atlanta Central Library in Downtown Atlanta, which is the main office. It also has the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History and 33 other branch libraries.

History of Fulton County Libraries

Starting with the Young Men's Library Association

The idea for the public library system began with the Young Men's Library Association (YMLA). This was a library where you had to pay to be a member, started in 1867. Anyone could visit, but only members could borrow books. At first, only white men could join. In 1873, white women were also allowed to become members.

The YMLA was the main library for Atlanta for many years. In the 1890s, the YMLA, a famous businessman named Andrew Carnegie, and the City of Atlanta began planning a new public library. Walter M. Kelly, who worked for Andrew Carnegie, joined the YMLA board in 1897. He believed Atlanta needed a public library because the YMLA was too small for the growing city.

The First Carnegie Library

Carnegie Library (1902–1977)

On March 4, 1902, Atlanta's first public library opened. It was called the Carnegie Library, named after Andrew Carnegie who helped fund it. This building was designed by Ackerman & Ross and stood where the current Central Library is today. When it first opened, only some parts like the basement and children's room were ready.

The Carnegie Library was the main library for many years. It was updated in 1950 and again in 1966. Before 1950, the system was known as the Carnegie Library. After the 1950 renovation, it was renamed the Atlanta Public Library. In 1977, the Carnegie Library building was taken down. A new Central Library was built in its place. However, some parts of the old building were saved. They were used to create the Carnegie Education Pavilion, which honors higher education in Atlanta.

Growing the Library System

The Carnegie Library was very popular. Just one year after it opened, Andrew Carnegie offered more money to build branch libraries. In 1906, he officially offered $30,000 for two new branches. The city had to provide the land and help pay for the libraries.

The Anne Wallace Library opened in 1909. It was named after the first librarian of the Carnegie Library. Many more branch libraries followed. The Ragsdale branch opened in Oakland City in 1912. In 1913, the Uncle Remus Branch opened in the West End home of Joel Chandler Harris.

The library system has grown a lot over time. In 1913, there were four branches. By 1924, there were eight branches. By 1967, the system had 19 branches. Today, there are 34 branches operating across the county.

City and County Working Together

For many years, the library system only served people living in Atlanta. This meant Fulton County residents outside the city did not have library services. In 1935, the City of Atlanta and the Fulton County Board of Commissioners made an agreement. They used money from the Works Progress Administration and the city to provide library services throughout the county.

In 1982, a new law in Georgia allowed the city to give control of the library system to the county. So, in 1983, Fulton County took over. To show this change, the system was renamed the Atlanta–Fulton Public Library System.

Black Atlantans and Library Access

When the Carnegie Library opened in 1902, black citizens were not allowed to use it. W. E. B. Du Bois, a civil rights activist, tried to get equal access for black people. He asked for a branch library for black citizens, but the library board said no.

Andrew Carnegie had offered money for a black branch library. However, the library system did not use this money until 1921. That year, Tommie Dora Barker opened the Auburn Avenue Branch Library. This was the first branch library for black citizens, located in the Sweet Auburn neighborhood. Two other libraries for black citizens opened during the time of segregation. The library system also began to hire black female librarians, like Annie L. McPheeters.

In 1959, Irene Dobbs Jackson, whose son Maynard Jackson later became mayor of Atlanta, asked for a library card for the main library. After much discussion, the library board voted on May 19, 1959, to allow black citizens full access to the library. Between 1966 and 1973, the library staff also became integrated.

Library Improvements in 2008

In 2008, voters in Fulton County approved a $275 million plan for libraries. This money was used to build new libraries and update existing ones. The plan included funds for eight new libraries and expanding two others. It also paid for renovations at 23 branch libraries.

Five large libraries, each about 25,000 square feet, were built in Alpharetta, Milton, Northwest Atlanta, Wolf Creek, and Stewart-Lakewood. The Alpharetta and Stewart-Lakewood libraries replaced older, smaller ones. The Northwest Atlanta library replaced three small branches. The Milton and Wolf Creek libraries were brand new.

A new 10,000 square foot library was built in Palmetto/Chattahoochee Hill County. Two new 15,000 square foot libraries were built in Southeast Atlanta and East Roswell. The Southeast Atlanta library replaced three smaller branches. The plan also included $84 million for a new 300,000 square foot central library. Finally, the Auburn Avenue Research Library and the South Fulton branch library were expanded.

The Central Library

The Central Library building

The Central Library in Downtown Atlanta is the main office for the library system. It was finished in 1980. This building was the last one designed by Marcel Breuer, a famous architect from the Bauhaus movement. The building has a style called brutalist architecture. Experts, like Barry Bergdoll from the Museum of Modern Art, consider it a "masterpiece." It looks similar to the Whitney Museum of Art building, which is now the Met Breuer museum.

Roswell Branch Library History

The Roswell Branch Library started in 1946. Volunteers would travel weekly to the Atlanta Central Library to get books. In 1955, Arthur W. Smith bought an old apartment building in Roswell. The book collection moved there and was called the Carnegie Library Deposit at Roswell. This was because all the books were still borrowed from the Central Library. It wasn't until 1965 that the Roswell Library became a full branch with its own books. Today, the library building is named after Arthur W. Smith.

Cleveland Avenue Branch Library

The Cleveland Avenue Branch Library first opened in 1992. In 2001, it was renamed the Cleveland Avenue-Roy Lyndell Yancey, Sr. Branch Library. This library is special because it was the first Fulton County Government building to have solar panels on its roof.

Library Branches

Libraries in Nearby Counties

• West Georgia Regional Library (to the west)
• Cobb County Public Library System (to the west)
• Sequoyah Regional Library System (to the northwest)
• Forsyth County Public Library (to the northeast)
• Gwinnett County Public Library (to the east)
• DeKalb County Public Library (to the east)
• Clayton County Library System (to the southeast)
• Flint River Regional Library System (to the south)
• Coweta Public Library System (to the south)