Lawrence County has had a first-rate public library for 74 years. The attached image of the county court minutes from the day the library was created is the library’s “birth certificate.”

On April 14, 1941, the Lawrence County Quarterly Court voted to create the Lawrence County Public Library, but it wasn’t just that decision which created the library; it was the work of our entire community.

Prior to the county’s creation of the library, a group of concerned citizens spearheaded a drive to fund the project and to create its stock of books. This effort had been supported by many folks in Lawrence County in one way or another for almost half a century.

Hundreds of local people, civic organizations, and community clubs donated money and books to help launch the library in the months leading up to the official creation of the department.

Like most great community efforts, the idea for our public library grew from the ground up, and it continues to grow today. As the way we access information has changed, the library has adapted to better-serve its patrons. Today, you can still check out books and write reports at the library, but you can also download free e-books, learn how to write a resume, book a place for your club meeting, create an e-mail account, get free Internet access, learn your family’s role in our nation’s history, and get your children excited about learning.

The library has programs for all age groups and it is open to people from every socioeconomic background. The way we access information may change, but the Lawrence County Public Library will always find new ways to help our community learn and grow.