About Your Library

In September of 1922, the Canton Woman’s Club put forth the initial plans for a public library in Canton. In 1923, this dedicated group gave a collection of books which established Canton’s first public library. The collection was housed in rent-free space behind Higgins Jewelry Store on Main Street; it was presided over by the late Miss Malinda Roberts who volunteered to keep it open two days a week.

 

In 1957, the R. T. Jones Foundation bought the old McAfee home on Main Street to house the library. The Foundation also provided the $25,000 needed to remodel the home for library use. At this time, the library became qualified for State aid which enabled the library to expand its collection. The State also loaned the library a bookmobile in 1957 until the library purchased its own in 1958.

 

The Pickens County Library had its birth in 1932. It was then that a group of 4-H girls and Home Demonstration Clubs expressed a desire for something to read. Their little spark of interest was fanned into a flame by a Home Demonstration Agent, Henrietta White Darnell, who thought that it was better to “light a candle than to curse the darkness.” In the beginning she borrowed fifty books at a time from the Georgia State Library Commission and checked them out to her club members.  As the books were read, they were returned and fifty more were obtained. While the present courthouse was under construction, the County Library was housed in the Pickens County High School (now Jasper Elementary).  This situation existed until the new courthouse was finished in 1949.  At that time, the library was given a small room in the basement of the newly constructed courthouse.

 

At this time a Board of Trustees was formed to set operational procedures, policies, and so forth.  The library was fortunate to have had a dedicated group to give of their time and ability in getting the library off to a sound start.  Those persons serving as charter members of the Pickens County Library Board were:  Ruth Adams, Marjorie Floyd Butchart, and Henrietta Darnell. As community interest grew, it was only natural that more people would become involved in the growth of the library.  The city of Jasper started contributing to the salary of the librarian while Sherman Gartrell was mayor, and the city still continues this practice. In 1958, the Pickens County Library became affiliated with the Sequoyah Regional Library.  

 

The Gilmer County Library was founded on June 26, 1940, and opened to the public on July 1, 1940. The library began in a small room inside the Gilmer County Courthouse. Started as a federal W.P.A. project, the library also had some local support which included  J & C Bedspread Company, the City of Ellijay, and the Ellijay Women’s Club. There were 200 books on the opening date. This number grew to 342 during the first year, and by the end of 1941 totaled 913 books. The first library board consisted of Mrs. E. T. Hudson, Chairman; Mrs. R. W. Smith, Co-Chairman; Mayor Willard Holden; L. N. Foster, School Superintendent; C. F. Owen, Editor; Mrs. Joe McCutchen, J & C Bedspread Company representative.

 

The Gilmer County Board of Education and the Library Board of Trustees began to share responsibility and expenses in an effort to strengthen library services in the county. In 1948, the Library Board adopted a constitution and by-laws, establishing a consistency for the board. During the summer of 1956 the library moved into the building, which was located behind the old Ellijay Elementary School gymnasium and which also housed the old cannery (across from the present location of the First United Methodist Church). The new location gave more space and better lighting, and at the same time gave the public better access to the facility. It continued to serve as both a public and elementary school library until the current library building was constructed in 1977 and the two collections were separated.

 

In 1957 a committee was appointed to contact Pickens and Cherokee counties with the idea of joining their regional library. The committee’s report was favorable if finances could be worked out. At that time, the library was funded by the combination of State and County matching funds based on the number of students, money from the State Library Commission, and miscellaneous local donations. In 1959, plans were worked out to join the regional system with Cherokee and Pickens counties.  Commissioner Harold Hefner and Superintendent Everett Weeks agreed to increase their offices’ contributions, which made it possible for the library to join the regional library. In 1961, the Cherokee-Pickens-Gilmer Regional Library adopted the name “Sequoyah Regional Library.”   

 

On March 25, 1957, a contract was signed with Pickens County to form the Cherokee-Pickens Regional Library (1958). This union upgraded our local library, because it put us under the guidance of a regional director and made many services available to the county, including a bookmobile. Gilmer County became part of the system in 1959 forming the Cherokee-Pickens-Gilmer Regional Library. The system’s name became Sequoyah Regional Library on July 1, 1961.

 

R. T. Jones Library at 400 East Main Street was feeling the effects of the increase in population. The 8,000 square foot building was no longer sufficient. Mr. Denney began the search for a site to locate a new facility and on July 20, 1989 a transaction was completed that would provide three acres for a new 30,000 square foot building. The county purchased the building on Main Street and this made the site on Highway 20 near I575 available. Groundbreaking was held March 8, 1990 and construction began. After packing books, furniture, memories, and many trips between the two buildings, books were on shelves once again, offices in order, and circulation desk was ready for patrons.

 

On May 1, 1991 the building was ready for the public and the public was ready for their new library!  Dedication of the R. T. Jones Memorial Library, 116 Brown Industrial Parkway, was held June 12, 1991 at eleven o’clock. Chairman W. W. Denney gave a warm welcome to all of the special and honored guests.  Senator Bill Hasty introduced the Speaker, Lt. Governor Pierre Howard.  

 

In 2000, the Sequoyah Regional Library System greeted the new millennium with a vision for continual growth and prosperity. The explosion in the quantity of digital resources that have become available on the World Wide Web has impacted libraries in unprecedented ways. The library has strived to provide new resources and programs to keep up with the community’s demand for more services.