DeKalb County Public Library

The DeKalb County Public Library is the public library system of DeKalb County, Georgia in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Its collection includes over 750,000 books; collections of over 400 magazines, academic and scientific journals, and newspapers; and audiovisual materials including videotapes, audiobooks, CDs, and DVDs. Library patrons can also access a variety of databases and online references through the GALILEO (GeorgiA LIbrary LEarning Online) system. The library currently operates 22 branches located throughout the county, with construction of three additional branches planned by 2010.

As of 2007, the library served a population of over 710,000, of whom over 191,000 had library cards. The library system had over 180 full-time and about 50 part-time employees, and a budget of over $13 million.

List of branches

Briarcliff
Brookhaven
Chamblee
Clarkston
Covington
Decatur
Doraville
Dunwoody
Embry Hills
Flat Shoals
Gresham
Hairston Crossing
Redan-Trotti
Lithonia-Davidson
Northlake-Barbara Loar
Salem-Panola
Scott Candler
Scottdale-Tobie Grant
Stone Mountain-Sue Kellogg
Toco Hill-Avis G. Williams
Tucker-Reid H. Cofer
Wesley Chapel-William C. Brown

Planned new branches (by 2010):

Ellenwood
Northeast Plaza
Stonecrest

History

The first public library in the county was opened in 1907, in Lithonia. In 1925 a larger public library was founded in Decatur, the county seat of DeKalb County. In 1952 branches of the Decatur Library were established in Brookhaven and Doraville, and the Decatur Library was renamed the Decatur-DeKalb Library.. The previously independent public library in Lithonia also joined the Decatur-DeKalb system, although the Lithonia library maintained a separate library board until 1971. As the DeKalb Regional Library System, the library provided services for neighboring Rockdale County from 1951 to 1989, and also for Newton County from 1953 to 1989; in 1989 the regional library system was disbanded and each of the three counties established its own separate library system..