Established 1969 Branches 16 Circulation 3,045,796 (2015) | Location Cobb County, Georgia Size 1,047,648 Population served 717,000 (2017) | |
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The Cobb County Public Library System (CCPLS) is a system of 16 public libraries in Cobb County, Georgia, USA — excluding its second-largest city of Smyrna, which runs its own Smyrna Public Library. CobbCat.org is the online database of all CCPLS holdings.
Contents
- Initial Libraries
- Cobb County Marietta Public Library Board
- Cobb County Public Library System
- Library systems in neighboring counties
- References
The CCPLS uses an interlibrary loan system between all 16 branches, and allows for loan requests from other counties and areas through WorldCat. Those with a valid library card in the Cobb Country Library system are able to reserve materials online and pick them up in their local library. Books may likewise be returned at any library in the system.
Initial Libraries
The first library of Cobb County was the Marietta Young Men's Debating and Library Association, which debuted in 1874. For the next eight years this would be the sole library of the county up until the opening of the Franklin Lending Library in 1882. With two libraries now present in the county the Marietta Library Association was founded in 1883. The first library building opened on Church Street, Marietta, and was named the Sarah Freeman Clarke Library in honor of the woman who housed the initial Franklin Lending Library collection in her home.
Following the opening of the Marietta Library Association, Acworth, GA opened its first library, the Carrie Dyer Reading Club, in 1889. Austell, GA opened its first library through the Austell Woman's Club near the end of the 1920s.
Cobb County-Marietta Public Library Board
In 1948 the Cobb County Board of Education established its first library, the Cobb County library, and this library joined the Marietta Library Association in 1957. This relationship created the Cobb County-Marietta Public Library Board, and two years later in 1959 they combined and brought the Clarke and Fort Hill libraries to the system.
In 1961 two more branches in East Marietta and Powder Springs were added, and in 1962 South Cobb's previously private branch joined the system alongside the Oakdale (now Lewis A. Ray) Branch.
In 1963 the Acworth Library joined, a new branch was established in Kennesaw, and Central (now Switzer) Library was built as a result of the renovation of the old Marietta Post Office.
Finally, in 1964 and 1965 the Gritters and Sweetewater Valley branches respectively joined the system.
Cobb County Public Library System
From the years 1966 to 1969 a bond to the county was issued to help create seven new libraries. These libraries were built the following libraries: Kennesaw, East Marietta, Acworth, South Cobb, Sibley, Lewis A. Ray, and Powder Springs. All seven of these libraries opened in 1967 on the same day.
With such a large amount of libraries representing much more than just Marietta, the system changed its name to the present-day Cobb County Public Library System in 1969. Shortly thereafter the Stratton branch was added in 1974, and the Merchant's Walk branch was added in 1979.
In 1978 another bond was issued which allowed for the renovation and expansion of the Switzer (then Central) library to 64,000 square feet. In 2002 the West Cobb Library opened, and in 2005 the South Cobb Regional Library opened. In 2007 the Powder Springs Library moved locations to a new facility on Atlanta Road.
In 2010 the East Cobb Library replaced the previously built Merchant's Walk Library and doubled the amount of floor space for books and technological improvements.
In 2016 the East Marietta Library was chosen for a new location and new building. It is currently still open at the new building is under construction, which will be named the East Marietta Library and Cultural Center. It is scheduled to open in the summer of 2017.