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.[2]
| Oconee Regional Library System | |
|---|---|
 The Laurens County Library in Dublin, Georgia | |
| Location | Central Georgia |
| Branches | 5 |
| Collection | |
| Size | 193,676 (2016)[1] |
| Access and use | |
| Circulation | 171,901 (2016)[1] |
| Population served | 89,137 (2016)[1] |
| Members | 28,829 (2016)[1] |
| Other information | |
| Director | Beverly Brown |
| Website | http://www.ocrl.org/ |
ORLS is a member of PINES, a program of the Georgia Public Library Service that covers 53 library systems in 143 counties of Georgia.[3] Any resident in a PINES supported library system has access to the system's collection of 10.6 million books.[4] 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.[5]
History
editIn 1903 American industrialist Andrew Carnegie donated $10,000 to Dublin, Georgia to construct their first library in the region. This carnegie library was gifted under the condition that the City of Dublin would provide $1,000 each year to run the library after its opening. The library opened November 7, 1904.[6]
One year after opening the library was also used as a local archive center, housing a war museum and artifacts from the Revolutionary and Civil Wars along with Indian relics. In 1912 a monument dedicated to the soldiers of the Confederacy was erected on library property.[6]
In the 1960s Laurens County constructed a new, larger library, leaving the Carnegie library empty for many years. The original building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is still in its original form.[7]
Branches
edit| Name | Address |
|---|---|
| Gladcock County Library | 738 Railroad Avenue, Gibson, GA 30810 |
| Harlie Fulford Memorial Library | 301 West Elm Street, Wrightsville, GA 31096 |
| Laurens County Library | 801 Bellevue Avenue, Dublin, GA 31021 |
| Rosa M. Tarbutton Memorial Library | 314 South Harris Street, Sandersville, GA 31082 |
| Treutlen County Library | Second Street, Soperton, GA 30457 |
Library systems in neighboring counties
edit- Azalea Regional Library System to the north.
- Greater Clarks Hill Regional Library System to the north east.
- Jefferson County Library System to the east.
- Statesboro Regional Public Libraries to the east.
- Ohoopee Regional Library System to the south east.
- Ocmulgee Regional Library System to the south.
- Middle Georgia Regional Library System to the west.
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Current Look at Georgia Libraries 2016" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 March 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
- ^ "Oconee Regional Libraries". Retrieved 8 April 2017.
- ^ "PINES - About". Retrieved 8 April 2017.
- ^ "PINES Facts" (PDF). Retrieved 8 April 2017.
- ^ "GALILEO - About". Retrieved 8 April 2017.
- ^ a b "Carnegie Library History". The Dublin Carnegie Premier Venue for Cultural & Artistic Events. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.