South Georgia Regional Library

South Georgia Regional Library
The Willis L. Miller Library, the main branch of the South Georgia Regional Library System
Established 1875
Location Lowndes, Echols, and Lanier Counties, Georgia
Branches 6
Collection
Size 263,345 (2016)[1]
Access and use
Circulation 364,603 (2016)[1]
Population served 132,547 (2016)[1]
Members 45,219 (2016)[1]
Other information
Director Miguel Vicente
Website http://www.sgrl.org/

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.

SGRL 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

Carnegie Library

The South Georgia Regional Library System was founded in 1875 by the local Library Association, and was initially housed as a small 40 volume collection in City Hall. Initial funding came from the Valdosta City Council at $15 per month, and by 1903 the collection had grown to 1500 books.[5] In need of more space to house the growing collection the Wimodausis club decided to look for funds from Andrew Carnegie, the American industrialist who at the time was helping to fund hundreds of libraries across America.[6] A preliminary design for a building was sent to Carnegie in 1912, and agreement was reached for a $15,000 grant to construct the library on the condition the city of Valdosta maintain the building at a cost of 10% of the initial grant every following year.[7] The result of construction turned out be successful. By 1920 the library collection had grown to 3,750 volumes.[8] The Carnegie library was utilized as a library for the next few decades, remaining in the system until a new building was constructed in 1968 to serve as the headquarters. At this time the building was acquired by the Lowndes County Historical Society who have maintained it since the purchase in 1971.[7]

Library expansion

The Valdosta Lowndes County Library

The first library for African Americans in the system was opened in 1935 in Lowndes County out of the Walton Building - given for use as a black library by the City Council. Unfortunately due to poor staffing and a loss of books the library closed from 1939 until 1955, when the library system expanded to extend service back out to the black community. Service with the main branch was integrated in 1963, and a new building for the black community was established in 1992 with the dedication of the McMullen Memorial Southside Library.[9]

The second library to be added to the system after the Carnegie library was the Lakeland public library in 1950. Initially located in the courthouse offices, then a Kindergarten building, the library received its own dedicated space in 1980 under the name the Lanier-Lakeland Library.[10] During this time the Carnegie building began showing signs of overcrowding and an effort was made to replace the building with a new county headquarters. Valdosta County introduced a new 32,000 square foot, $450,000 building to the regional system in 1968, dedicated as the Valdosta-Lowndes County Public Library.[11]

In 1989, with partial funding from the late Walter Salter, former mayor, the Salter Hahira Library was opened.[12] The following year the Johnston Lakes Library opened dedicated to Edith Johnson who donated the land for the library construction.[13] The last library added to the system was the Echols County library on July 19, 1992 serving the rural community of Statenville.[14]

Current state

In 1995 the Valdosta headquarters library received $2.5 million for renovations to modernize the facility and increase its capacity to serve as the central library for the system.[11][15] In 2010 both the Johnston Lakes and Salter Hahira libraries underwent renovations for upgrade their outdated facilities.[12][13] The most recent renovation occurred in 2012 at the Miller Lakeland Library in order to reconfigure the layout of the building to allow ease of access for patrons and librarians, and to install new lighting and carpeting throughout.[10]

In 2018 the Valdosta-Lowndes County Library closed its 300 Woodrow Wilson Drive location and moved to a new location at 2906 Julia Drive. It was reopened with a name change to the Willis L. Miller Library.[16]

Branches

NameAddress
Allen Statenville LibraryUS 129 & Jackson Street, Statenville, GA 31648
Johnston Lakes Library720 Lakes Boulevard, Lake Park, GA 31636
McMullen Southside Library527 Griffin Avenue, Valdosta, GA 31601
Miller Lakeland Library18 South Valdosta Road, Lakeland, GA 31635
Salter Hahira Library220 East Main Street, Hahira, GA 31632
Willis L. Miller Library2906 Julia Drive Drive, Valdosta, GA 31602

Library systems in neighboring counties

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Current Look at Georgia Libraries 2016" (PDF). Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  2. ↑ "PINES - About". Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  3. ↑ "PINES Facts" (PDF). Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  4. ↑ "GALILEO - About". Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  5. ↑ "SGRL - History and Profile". Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  6. ↑ "Valdosta Society" (Vol. XLI, No. 209). The Atlanta Constitution. January 10, 1909. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  7. 1 2 Walker, Jr, Robert Burke (1994). Georgia's Carnegie Libraries: A study of their History, Their Existing Conditions, and Conservation (PDF). Athens, Georgia. pp. 43–45. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  8. ↑ "Georgia Library Commission Reports on State Activities" (Vol. LIII, No. 69). The Atlanta Constitution. August 22, 1920. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  9. ↑ "McMullen Library History". SGRL. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  10. 1 2 "Lakeland Library History". SGRL. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  11. 1 2 "Valdosta-Lowndes History". SGRL. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  12. 1 2 "Salter Hahira History". SGRL. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  13. 1 2 "Johnston Lakes History". SGRL. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  14. ↑ "Statenville History". SGRL. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  15. ↑ "HOSPITAL TO PURCHASE LIBRARY PROPERTY". ValdostaToday.com. October 26, 2015. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  16. ↑ jason.smith@gaflnews.com, Jason A. Smith (July 26, 2018). "Library opens new chapter Saturday". Valdosta Daily Times. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
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