Okefenokee Regional Library System

Last updated
Okefenokee Regional Library System
Okefenokee Regional Library System.png
Alma Bacon County Public Library.JPG
The Alma-Bacon County Public Library
Established1950s
Location Southeast Georgia
Branches5
Collection
Size131,304 (2016) [1]
Access and use
Circulation157,471 (2016) [1]
Population served92,861 (2016) [1]
Members25,067 (2016) [1]
Other information
DirectorTrent Reynolds
Website http://okrls.org/
Map
Okefenokee Regional Library System

The Okefenokee Regional Library System (OKRLS) is a public library system serving the counties of Ware, Appling, Bacon, Clinch, and Pierce, Georgia. The headquarters for the library system is the Waycross-Ware County Public Library located in Waycross, Georgia.

Contents

OKRLS is a member of PINES, a program of the Georgia Public Library Service that covers 53 library systems in 143 counties of Georgia. [2] Any resident in a PINES supported library system has access to the system's collection of 10.6 million books. [3] The library is also serviced by GALILEO, a program of the University System of Georgia which stands for "GeorgiA LIbrary LEarning Online". This program offers residents in supported libraries access to over 100 databases indexing thousands of periodicals and scholarly journals. It also boasts over 10,000 journal titles in full text. [4]

History

Alma-Bacon County Library

Early years of an established public library are not known for Bacon county, yet it is known that the county school superintendent, E. C. Perkins, housed a very large collection of books. Perkins decided in the late 1930s to take the necessary steps to turn her large book collection into a public library. This first library officially opened in October 1940 and quickly moved into an abandoned building that had been built in 1930 as an overflow for the nearby hospital. With a building and collection secured the library proposed a merger with the local Historical Society to operate out of the same building. In doing so the two organizations were able to receive funds from the county budget which enabled the library to stay open for a full five-day schedule each week. As another perk of the merger the Alma-Bacon library has a vast Historical and Genealogical collection that is available to the public. [5]

Appling County Public Library

Interest in a library in Appling County was sparked in 1928 when the Georgia Library Commission loaned 500 books to the Baxley Woman's Club who were looking to organize a public library service to the town. The library at first consisted of a single bookcase full of these books and other donated by townspeople and the women of the club, and was housed in one of the members' home. By 1936 this library had grown to the point where it moved to the back of the courthouse and a Library Board was organized to run the system. When the courthouse was due for renovations in 1953, space was again dedicated for use by the library. [6]

In April 1961 the Appling Library became a branch of the greater Okefenokee Regional Library System. Due to increased interest in expanding the regional library more funding came in and was saved for future use to build a new dedicated library building. In 1976 the library has raised through donations and grants $140,000, and the following year this was matched by the County Commissioners. In 1977 the City Council donated a site in town for the library, and construction began. The library was dedicated to the city of Baxley in 1978. [6]

Branches

NameAddress
Alma-Bacon County Public Library201 North Pierce Street, Alma, GA 31510
Appling County Public Library242 E. Parker Street, Baxley, GA 31513
Clinch County Public Library478 West Dame Street, Homerville, GA 31634
Pierce County Public Library785 College Avenue, Blackshear, GA 31516
Waycross-Ware County Public Library401 Lee Avenue, Waycross, GA 31501

Library systems in neighboring counties

Related Research Articles

Ware County, Georgia County in Georgia, United States

Ware County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 36,312. The county seat is Waycross.

U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in the U.S. state of Georgia, which is concurrent for almost its entire length with State Route 4 (SR 4), is a highway traversing south-to-north through portions of Charlton, Ware, Bacon, Appling, Toombs, Emanuel, Jefferson, and Richmond counties in the southeastern and east-central parts of the state. In Georgia, the highway originates at US 1/US 23/US 301/SR 15 at the St. Marys River and the Florida state line, where SR 4 and SR 15 reach their southern terminus. It travels to its northern terminus at US 1/US 25/US 78/US 278/SC 121 at the Savannah River and the South Carolina state line in Augusta. Here, SR 10 reaches its eastern terminus, and SR 121 reaches its northern terminus.

Coastal Pines Technical College

Coastal Pines Technical College (CPTC) is a community college in Waycross, Georgia, with six branches in other cities. It has a thirteen-county service delivery area (SDA), covering a total of 7,433 square miles, which is the largest SDA in the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG). Coastal Pines has seven instructional sites in the rural towns of Alma, Baxley, Brunswick, Hazlehurst, Jesup, Kingsland and Waycross in southeastern Georgia, nineteen adult education sites and dual enrollment opportunities with sixteen high schools. The school offers over 130 programs, associate's degree, and certificate or diploma programs in the areas of allied health, business and computer, personal services, and technical and industrial technology. Students can earn a degree, diploma or certificate in as little as eight weeks to two years.

Hall County Library System

The Hall County Library System (HCLS) is a public library system in Hall County, Georgia consisting of five public libraries. Four of these libraries are located in Gainesville, with the newest branch, Spout Springs, in Flowery Branch.

Hart County Library

The Hart County Library is a single branch public library serving the population of Hart County, Georgia. It is located in Hartwell, Georgia at 150 Benson Street. In 2016 the library was named Georgia's Public Library of the Year.

Oconee Regional Library System

The Oconee Regional Library System (OCRL) is a public library system that serves the counties of Glascock, Laurens, Johnson, Treutlen, and Washington Georgia. The headquarters for the library system is in Dublin, Georgia and the system serves a population of over 83,000 people across 2,011 square miles.

The Jefferson County Library System (JCLS) is a public library system in Jefferson County, Georgia. The system consists of three libraries, with headquarters in Louisville, Georgia.

Statesboro Regional Public Libraries

The Statesboro Regional Public Libraries (STRL) is a public library system that supports the counties of Bulloch, Bryan, Candler, Emanuel, and Evans Georgia. The central library is located in Statesboro, Georgia.

The Screven-Jenkins Regional Library System (SJRL) is a two county public library system serving the counties of Screven and Jenkins Georgia.

Three Rivers Regional Library System

The Three Rivers Regional Library System (TRRL) is a public library system that serves the counties of Brantley, Camden, Charlton, Long, McIntosh, and Wayne, Georgia. The administrative office of the system is located in Jesup, Georgia.

Ohoopee Regional Library System

The Ohoopee Regional Library System is a public library system serving the counties of Jeff Davis, Montgomery, Tattnall, and Toombs, Georgia. The logo of the system features a vidalia onion, as the region is home to Vidalia, Georgia where the onions are grown.

Satilla Regional Library System

The Satilla Regional Library System is a public library system serving Atkinson County, and Coffee County, Georgia. The headquarters of the system is the Douglas-Coffee County Public Library located in Douglas, Georgia.

Ocmulgee Regional Library System

The Ocmulgee Regional Library System (ORLS) is a public library system in Georgia serving Dodge, Bleckley, Pulaski, Telfair, Wheeler, Wilcox counties. The headquarters of the system is the Murrell Memorial Library which is located in Eastman, Georgia.

Houston County Public Library System

The library system is a member of PINES, a program of the Georgia Public Library Service that covers 53 library systems in 143 counties of Georgia. Any resident in a PINES supported library system has access to the system's collection of 10.6 million books. The library is also serviced by GALILEO, a program of the University System of Georgia which stands for "GeorgiA LIbrary LEarning Online". This program offers residents in supported libraries access to over 100 databases indexing thousands of periodicals and scholarly journals. It also boasts over 10,000 journal titles in full text. Downloadable e-books and e-audios are available through GADD - Georgia Download Destination.

Catoosa County Library

The Catoosa County Library is a single branch public library system serving Catoosa County, Georgia. The library branch is located in Ringgold, Georgia.

Peach Public Libraries

The Peach Public Libraries is a consortium of two public libraries in central Georgia serving Peach County. Its headquarters is the Thomas Public Library in Fort Valley, Georgia.

Lake Blackshear Regional Library System

The Lake Blackshear Regional Library System (LBRLS) is a public library system covering the four counties of Sumter, Crisp, Dooly, Schley, Georgia. The Lake Blackshear Headquarters Library is located in Americus. The system is also home to the second oldest Carnegie library in Georgia, located in Cordele.

South Georgia Regional Library

The South Georgia Regional Library (SGRL) is a public library system consisting of six branches across the counties of Lowndes, Echols, and Lanier, Georgia. The headquarters library is the Valdosta-Lowndes County Library located in Valdosta, Georgia.

De Soto Trail Regional Library System

The De Soto Trail Regional Library System is a public library system serving the counties of Mitchell, Baker and Early, in the state Georgia. The headquarters of the library system is the Camilla Public Library located in Camilla, Georgia.

Southwest Georgia Regional Library Public library system in Georgia, USA

The Southwest Georgia Regional Library (SWGRL) is a public library system serving the counties of Decatur, Miller, and Seminole, Georgia. The central library is the Gilbert H. Gragg Library located in Bainbridge, Georgia.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Current Look at Georgia Libraries 2016" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 March 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  2. ↑ "PINES - About" . Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  3. ↑ "PINES Facts" (PDF). Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  4. ↑ "GALILEO - About" . Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  5. ↑ Baker, Bonnie Taylor (1984). The History of Alma & Bacon County, Georgia Volume 1. p. 51.
  6. 1 2 Barron, Ruth T. (1981). Footprints in Appling County. Dallas, Texas: Taylor Publishing Company. pp. 159–160.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.