The Forsyth County Public Library (FCPL) is a consortium of four public libraries in Forsyth County, Georgia, United States. All four branches are located in the county seat of Cumming.
Forsyth County Public Library | |
---|---|
Location | Forsyth County, Georgia |
Established | 1938[1] |
Branches | 4 |
Collection | |
Size | 441,639 (2020)[2] |
Access and use | |
Circulation | 2,331,969 (2020)[2] |
Population served | 252,507 (2020)[2] |
Members | 80,824 (2020)[2] |
Other information | |
Budget | $6,768,303 (2017) |
Director | Anna Lyle |
Website | http://www.forsythpl.org |
The Forsyth County Public Library as of 2015 had the highest circulation per capita in the state of Georgia.[3] The Sharon Forks branch was recognized as the busiest library in the state, with a circulation of over one million materials.[4]
The first library in Forsyth County was run out of the home of Laura Hockenhull, who at the time owned a private library and decided to open it up to the public. By 1938 the Works Progress Administration (WPA) of Forsyth opened the first formal county library with a collection of just over 600 volumes. With funding from the WPA, this collection of books was housed throughout the county, largely on a bookmobile that covered 20 routes through the county.[1]
In 1956, in an effort to consolidate resources, Forsyth and Gwinnett County created a joint library system named the Gwinnett–Forsyth Regional Library System. Their partnership drastically increased the number of volumes available in the system as Gwinnett County housed a half-dozen library locations while the Forsyth library collections were spread out among various buildings.[1]
Finally, in 1966 a formal location for library use was constructed in Forsyth County. Funding came from the federal Library Services and Construction Act, allowing for a centralized location for most of the county's books. By this time, due to the county's proximity to Atlanta, the population in Forsyth and nearby counties was booming. A bond referendum, passed in 1988, allocated $2.1 million for the improvement of the county libraries, and the state of Georgia matched this with a $2 million grant for construction of a new building which opened in 1992.[1]
In 1995, Gwinnett County decided to dissolve the Gwinnett–Forsyth Regional Library System as their population and accommodations had grown to a point of independence.[5]
The following year, 1996, as a response to the split from Gwinnett county, Forsyth county passed a special-purpose local-option sales tax (SPLOST) in order to raise funds to build a new library branch. This was repeated in 1998 to open the Sharon Forks Branch in 2000.[1]
In 2010 a third location, the Hampton Park Library was opened. In 2013 the Post Road Library had opened, marking FCPL's fourth location.[1]
Forsyth County is in the process of allocating funds to construct two new libraries in southwest and northwest Forsyth.[6] It is also using SPLOST funds to rebuild the Sharon Forks Library.[1]
Name | Address | Opened |
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Cumming Library | 585 Dahlonega Street, Cumming, GA 30040 | |
Hampton Park Library | 5345 Settingdown Road, Cumming, GA 30041 | 2010 |
Post Road Library | 5010 Post Road, Cumming, GA 30040 | 2013 |
Sharon Forks Library | 2820 Old Atlanta Road, Cumming, GA 30041 | 2000 |