Let's Celebrate! The Athens Clarke County Library' Turns 100.....and It's Finished!

The Athens-Clarke County Library will celebrate two major milestones in April with a whole month of special programs and events. April marks the end of the library’s long-running construction project, and this year is also the Library’s 100^th anniversary.

In 1913, the Athens Library Association received its charter. For 1 cent per day per item, Athenians could borrow from the small collection of 500 books, which was housed in a room in the Athens Railway and Electric Company Building.

The small library had 200 registered readers. The 1 cent per day fee helped pay for the rebinding of books and the purchase of new books. Most of the books in this first library were fiction, but there were both a small reference section (which contained a Webster’s dictionary, a Bible and an Encyclopedia Britannica – all donated by friends who requested anonymity) and a small section for children.

Through the years, the Library moved around town as it grew, first to a building adjacent to the National Bank of Athens on Broad Street in 1936, then to the YMCA at the corner of Lumpkin and Broad streets in 1937. From there, to the Stern House at the corner of Hancock Street and College Avenue in 1949, to Dougherty Street in 1970, and finally to its current home on Baxter Street in 1992.

The Baxter Street building has just completed a $10 million renovation and expansion project, which includes includes two additions and a complete makeover for the entire building. The entire process took almost two years.

In 100 years, the library’s collection has grown from a small room of books with a weekly story hour for children to become a full-service resource center and hub of regional library services. It provides access to thousands of materials, both housed locally and throughout the state, dozens of programs for all ages each month, and more.

From 200 registered readers one hundred years ago, the number of registered patrons has grown to over 66,000 in Athens alone. Those patrons checked out more than 1 million items last year.

To commemorate its 100 years serving the Athens community, the Athens-Clarke County Library will host a month full of exciting programs throughout April. Every department will hold special events.

In the Children’s Department, families can look forward to Family Fun Day, sponsored by the Friends of the Athens-Clarke County Library on Saturday, April 6, from 10 a.m. to noon. The event will feature a petting zoo, crafts and other activities along with a puppet show finale with the ever popular David Stephens at noon. Yes, we’ll have birthday cake!

The library’s official dedication ceremony will take place at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 7. The public is invited to attend this momentous occasion, which will feature local dignitaries and be preceded by a performance by local Latin music group Incatepec at 3:30 p.m.

The Library hosts its first ever Edible Book Contest at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 13. Local judges will choose winners in categories including Best Children's Book, Best Fiction Book, and Best Non-Fiction Book. There will also be a People's Choice voted by the public. Entry forms and complete rules are available at the Library or online here.

On Wednesday, April 17, at 12:30 p.m., “The Boomers: Reflecting, Sharing, Learning” will host a Community Snapshot program called “Exploring Your Library.” The program will feature library services. It will be streamed live online at www.boomersinathens.org and will be archived on the site as well.

Georgia author Joshilyn Jackson will come to the library on Sunday, April 21 at 3:00 p.m. Jackson has written five bestselling novels: gods in Alabama, Between, Georgia, The Girl Who Stopped Swimming, Backseat Saints, and, in January of 2012, A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty. She will join us for an afternoon to talk about her works and will be available to sign books. Books will be available for purchase onsite from Avid Bookshop.

 On Friday, April 26, at 7:00 p.m., the public is invited to “An Evening with Mark Twain,” featuring actor Dave Ehlert, who brings the famed Missouri author to life. The Friends of the Athens-Clarke County Library will sponsor this entertaining evening as Ehlert weaves Twain’s life story around the author’s famous quotations with an emphasis on literacy.

The Young Adult Department will host a series of craft activities and other programs with a time travel theme. They’ll cover everything from Steampunk to Star Wars, including an afternoon of Doctor Who trivia and crafts on Wednesday, April 17, at 4:00 p.m. and a 1920s Murder Mystery night from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Friday, April 19.

April will also bring the return of the library’s popular Thursday night film series, iFilms. At 7:00 p.m. each Thursday night in April, the library will screen a film featuring a library. Fans of the Library’s Facebook page are choosing which films will be shown in a Facebook Film Face-off.

All of these programs are free and open to the public. Check the Library’s website for updates and details of events, or call the Library at (706) 613-3650 for information. The Athens-Clarke County Library is located at 2025 Baxter Street.

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