Gwinnett County Public Library | |
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33°56′32″N84°00′53″W / 33.942297°N 84.014682°W | |
Location | Gwinnett County, GA |
Established | 1936 |
Branches | 15 |
Collection | |
Size | 839,728 [1] |
Access and use | |
Circulation | 5,464,503 (2015) [2] |
Population served | 860,000 (2016) [3] |
Members | 461,000 (2016) [3] |
Other information | |
Director | Charles Pace [3] |
Website | http://www.gwinnettpl.org/ |
The Gwinnett County Public Library is located in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States, [4] northeast of Atlanta. The library currently has 15 branches throughout the county and employs an interlibrary loan system for those with a valid library card.
In 2000 the Gwinnett County Public Library won the Library of the Year award. [5] [6] In 2009 it won the John Cotton Dana Award, which is the most prestigious of all library awards in the field of public relations and marketing. [7] This library system has the highest amounts of material circulation out of all libraries in Georgia. [1]
The first library in the Gwinnett County region was the Norcross library, established in 1907 by the Norcross Woman's Club. Following this, in 1935, the Lawrenceville PTA began the Lawrenceville Public Library in City Hall, which was renamed to the Gwinnett County Library the following year. [8]
In 1956, in an effort to consolidate resources with nearby Forsyth County, the two library systems agreed to form a joint venture named the Gwinnett-Forsyth Regional Library. [9] During this time Gwinnett County opened the Lake Lanier Regional Library in Buford, and libraries in Snellville and Mountain Park. [8]
From 1958 to 1967, the board of the Gwinnett County Library oversaw the Mack Haygood Library, a segregated branch for Black residents.
As the Atlanta metropolitan region began to fill out, Gwinnett and the surrounding counties saw a huge influx of residents, and therefore a much greater need to expand their library services. In 1986 a bond referendum allowed for each of the seven existing branches to be updated, and also allocated funds for the construction of an eighth branch at Peachtree Corners. Following suit not long after, Forsyth County received monies to refurbish their libraries and add a location of their own. [8]
With the increasing amount of branches in the Gwinnett-Forsyth Regional Library System, Gwinnett County opted to dissolve the venture in 1996. It is at this point the Gwinnett County Public Library was formed.
In 1999, the GCPL's tenth branch opened at Collins Hill. It was also named a finalist for the Library of the Year award. In 2000 the library system was again among finalists for library of the year, and at this point won. [6]
In 2002 the Centerville branch opened, sharing facilities with the adjacent Gwinnett County community center. A twelfth branch opened in Suwanne in 2004, and another in Dacula in 2006.
In 2005 the Grayson branch was opened, and in 2010 the Hamilton Mill branch opened as a LEED Gold certified building. [10]
In 1997, Gwinnett County Public Library removed Nancy Friday's bestseller Women On Top from its collection after two patrons complained about its sexual content. [11] Connie Cosby, one of the patrons, had requested that the book be made unavailable to children, and was "stunned" but "ecstatic" that library director Jo Ann Pinder removed it entirely. [12] Women On Top became the fourth book Gwinnett County Public Library had removed from its shelves because of complaints about content. [13]
The library's decision prompted many residents to write letters opposing and supporting the library's decision; one such letter from Sheila Blahnik, the other patron who had asked the library to remove Women On Top, called the reaction an "onslaught of media attention". [14] Area booksellers reported increased sales of the book soon after the library removed it; a Waldenbooks manager said, "In two months the bookstore sold one copy, and all of a sudden last week we sold eight." [15] One county resident called for Pinder and another librarian to be fired for describing the reasons for the book's removal as "editing errors and changes in library purchasing guidelines" rather than stating that it was censored because of its sexual content; other residents began shouting questions which the board did not answer, and the police were summoned. [16]
As a result of the controversy, Gwinnett County Public Library created a "parental advisory" category for books deemed suitable only for adults, allowing parents to give consent for their minor children to check those items out. [17] The library also created an advisory board to review the process for handling residents' complaints about library materials, and on the advice of county lawyers the library later opened those meetings to the public. [18] Ultimately, the library made it easier to request removing books from the library, on the advice of the advisory board, because the old form had been "too complicated". [19]
The current Materials Management Policy (last updated 2016) has eliminated restricted item sections or categories, and instead encourages customers to make their own decisions on which materials to check out. In line with current American Library Association guidelines on censorship, the Gwinnett County Public Library's current policy states that one customer "may not restrict access to these materials by others". A materials reconsideration request form is available for customers who which to challenge materials held by the library. [20]
Name | Address | Opened |
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Buford-Sugar Hill Branch | 2100 Buford Hwy, Buford, GA 30518 | 1989 |
Centerville Branch | 3025 Bethany Church Road, Snellville, GA 30039 | 2002 |
Collins Hill Branch | 455 Camp Perrin Road, Lawrenceville, GA 30043 | 1999 |
Dacula Branch | 265 Dacula Road, Dacula, GA 30019 | 2006 |
Duluth Branch | 3180 Main Street, Duluth, GA 30096 | 1968, 1989, 2021 |
Five Forks Branch | 2780 Five Forks Trickum Road, Lawrenceville, GA 30044 | 1995 |
Grayson Branch | 700 Grayson Parkway, Grayson, GA 30017 | 2006 |
Hamilton Mill Branch | 3690 Braselton Highway, Dacula, GA 30019 | 2010 |
Lawrenceville Branch | 1001 Lawrenceville Highway, Lawrenceville, GA 30046 | 1990 |
Lilburn Branch | 4817 Church Street, Lilburn, GA 30047 | 1968, 2016 |
Mountain Park Branch | 1210 Pounds Road SW, Lilburn, GA 30047 | 1987 |
Norcross Branch | 5735 Buford Highway, Norcross, GA 30071 | 1990, 2021 |
Peachtree Corners Branch | 5570 Spalding Drive, Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 | 1989 |
Snellville Branch | 2245 Wisteria Drive, Snellville, GA 30078 | 1988, 2023 |
Suwanee Branch | 361 Main Street, Suwanee, GA 30024 | 2004 |
Gwinnett County is located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. It forms part of the Atlanta metropolitan area, being located about 9 miles (14 km) northeast of Atlanta city limits. In 2020, the population was 957,062, making it the second-most populous county in Georgia. Its county seat is Lawrenceville. The county is named for Button Gwinnett, one of the signatories of the Declaration of Independence.
Forsyth County is a county in the Northeast portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. Suburban and exurban in character, Forsyth County lies within the Atlanta metropolitan area. The county's only incorporated city and county seat is Cumming. At the 2020 census, the population was 251,283. Forsyth was the fastest-growing county in Georgia and the 15th fastest-growing county in the United States between 2010 and 2019. Forsyth County's rapid population growth can be attributed to its proximity to high-income employment opportunities in nearby Alpharetta and northern Fulton County, its equidistant location between the big-city amenities of bustling Atlanta and the recreation offerings of the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains, its plentiful supply of large, relatively affordable new-construction homes, and its highly ranked public school system. The influx of high-income professionals and their families has increased the county's median annual household income dramatically in recent years; at $104,687, Forsyth County was the wealthiest in Georgia and the 19th-wealthiest in the United States as of 2018 estimates.
Duluth is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States. Located north of Interstate 85, it is approximately 22 miles (35 km) northeast of Atlanta.
Lilburn is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States. The population was 14,502 at the 2020 census. The estimated population was 12,810 in 2019. It is a part of the Atlanta metropolitan area.
Norcross is a city located in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population was 9,116, while in 2020, the population increased to 17,209. Norcross is part of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta metropolitan statistical area.
Snellville is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States, east of Atlanta. Its population was 20,573 at the 2020 census. It is a developed suburb of Atlanta and a part of the Atlanta metropolitan area, and is located roughly 33 miles east of downtown Atlanta via US 78 and Interstate 285.
Sugar Hill is a city in northern Gwinnett County in the U.S. state of Georgia, included within the Metro Atlanta area. The population was 25,076 as of the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Gwinnett County. It is in close proximity to Lake Lanier and the foothills of the North Georgia mountains.
Suwanee is a city in Gwinnett County and a part of the Atlanta metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 15,355; this had grown to an estimated 20,907 as of 2019. In 2020, its population was 20,786.
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority is the principal public transport operator in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Formed in 1971 as strictly a bus system, MARTA operates a network of bus routes linked to a rapid transit system consisting of 48 miles (77 km) of rail track with 38 subway stations. MARTA's rapid transit system is the eighth-largest rapid transit system in the United States by ridership.
The Cobb County Public Library System (CCPLS) is a system of 15 public libraries in Cobb County, Georgia, United States, excluding its second-largest city of Smyrna, which runs its own Smyrna Public Library. CobbCat.org is the online database of all CCPLS holdings.
The Atlanta–Fulton Public Library System is a network of public libraries serving the City of Atlanta and Fulton County, both in the U.S. state of Georgia. The system is administered by Fulton County. The system is composed of the Atlanta Central Library in Downtown Atlanta, which serves as the library headquarters, as well as the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History, and 33 branch libraries.
Lake Lanier is a reservoir in the northern portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created by the completion of Buford Dam on the Chattahoochee River in 1956, and is also fed by the waters of the Chestatee River. The lake encompasses 38,000 acres (15,000 ha) or 59 sq mi (150 km2) of water, and 692 mi (1,114 km) of shoreline at normal level, a "full pool" of 1,071 ft (326 m) above mean sea level and the exact shoreline varies by resolution according to the coastline paradox. Named for Confederate poet Sidney Lanier, it was built and is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for flood control and water supplies. Its construction destroyed more than 50,000 acres (20,000 ha) of farmland and displaced more than 250 families, 15 businesses, and relocated 20 cemeteries along with their remains in the process.
Johns Creek is a city in Fulton County, Georgia, United States. According to the 2020 census, the population was 82,453. The city is a northeastern suburb of Atlanta.
Peachtree Corners is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area, and is the largest city in Gwinnett County with a population of 42,243 as of the 2020 U.S. census.
In Forsyth County, Georgia, in September 1912, two separate alleged attacks on white women in the Cumming area resulted in black men being accused as suspects. First, a white woman reportedly awoke to find a black man in her bedroom; then days later, a white teenage girl was beaten and raped, later dying of her injuries.
The Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center is an environmental and cultural community center and museum in Buford, Georgia, United States. The center opened in 2006 and is designed to be an educational facility with a focus on environmentalism. The building itself follows the center's environmental theme and is a green building that utilizes less water and energy than other buildings of its size. It hosts exhibits and summer programs, many of which are focused on environmental topics, including water science and preservation primarily geared towards children. Located at the center are an historic home and barn from the 1800s that were each moved to sit adjacent to the facility in 2012 from elsewhere in Gwinnett County. It also has a ropes course that opened in 2011 and is connected to a series of several miles of walking trails that lead to other nearby destinations.
The Forsyth County Public Library (FCPL) is a consortium of four public libraries in Forsyth County, Georgia, United States. All four branches are located in the county seat of Cumming.
The Hall County Library System (HCLS) is a public library system in Hall County, Georgia, United States, consisting of five public libraries. Four of these libraries are located in Gainesville, with the newest branch, Spout Springs, in Flowery Branch.
Seckinger High School is an American four-year comprehensive high school in unincorporated Buford, Georgia. It is the only high school in the Seckinger cluster of the Gwinnett County Public Schools System, and opened in August 2022 as a public school. Jones Middle School, which feeds into Seckinger High School, is also a part of the Seckinger cluster along with three elementary schools.
The Mack Haygood Public Library was a segregated Black library in Lawrenceville, Georgia, that operated from 1958 to 1967.