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The Hickory Flat Renovation and Expansion Project officially began on Wednesday, January 25, 2023 with a celebratory groundbreaking featuring Sequoyah Regional Library System staff and board members turning the soil with Cherokee County officials and the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce. SRLS News Hickory Flat Public Library Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting July 26, 2024 Sequoyah Regional Library System (SRLS) celebrated the official opening of the Hickory Flat Public Library on Thursday, July 25, with a Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony hosted by the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce. “This library is all about people and spaces,” says Angela Cortellino, Executive Director of SRLS. “We still have books, with better browsing. We still have technology. But what you will find in here are some unique spaces. These spaces are meant for people to gather. For people to meet. For people to connect, explore, discover.” Speakers in attendance included Pam Carnes, Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, and Library Trustee, Eric Rein, Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce Chair, and Library Trustee, Tom Hill, Chair of the Cherokee County Library Board and Sequoyah Regional Library System Board, and Commissioner Richard Weatherby. The Hickory Flat Renovation and Expansion Project officially began on Wednesday, January 25, 2023 with a celebratory groundbreaking featuring Sequoyah Regional Library System staff and board members turning the soil with Cherokee County officials and the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce. The finished renovation of the Hickory Flat Public Library building, originally built in 1993, includes an addition of 7,800 square feet to the building. The building was designed by CAS Architecture and built by Hollandsworth Construction. With an expanded and renovated library facility, the Sequoyah Regional Library System community will have more space for books and technology; larger areas for programs, meetings, collaboration, and creation; and additional seating for study and quiet reading. Hickory Flat Public Library Full Service Hours: Monday 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM Tuesday 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Wednesday 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM Thursday 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Friday 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Saturday 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM To view the library system’s full programming schedule and register for events, visit https://bit.ly/Calendar-SRLS . Please continue to visit our website, SequoyahRegionalLibrary.org , for updates and announcements about the project, as well as up-to-date service hours for the Hickory Flat Public Library

< Back Hickory Flat Public Library Update Feb 1, 2024 Sequoyah Regional Library System has announced that construction of the Hickory Flat Public Library Renovation and Expansion project, which broke ground in January of 2023, is currently scheduled to be completed in late summer/early fall of 2024. Weather concerns and material delays with steel have prevented progress on the metal roof of the building. These delays have added a few more months to wait for completion. “We have had a few delays,” shares Angela Cortellino, Executive Director of SRLS. “We are looking at just a few extra months before we will be able to open this fantastic facility. I know once we open our doors, everyone will be excited and ready to celebrate with us.” Once construction is complete, there will be several weeks installing shelving, furniture, and technology, as well as moving in the collection. Designed by CAS Architecture, the Hickory Flat Library Renovation and Expansion construction is being completed by Hollandsworth Construction. The finished renovation will include an addition of 7,800 square feet to the building. With an expanded and renovated library facility, the SRLS community will have more space for books and technology; larger areas for programs, meetings, collaboration, and creation; and additional seating for study and quiet reading. The Hickory Flat Public Library building will be closed to the public for the entirety of the construction. During the construction, community members can still access SRLS programs and services by visiting any of the neighboring libraries in Cherokee, Pickens, and Gilmer counties. Previous Next

Your library card is your key to the resources and services for the Sequoyah Regional Library System. In addition to borrowing library materials, your card allows you to reserve a computer, download digital media, search hundreds of electronic databases, and more What you can do with your library card? Check out books, movies, magazines and audiobooks, all for free in both print and digital formats. You can also check out passes to state parks and other attractions, Launchpads, Chromebooks, tablets and even musical kits. Your Library Card Getting a library card at Sequoyah Regional Library is easy! Your library card is your key to the resources and services for the Sequoyah Regional Library System. In addition to borrowing library materials, your card allows you to reserve a computer, download digital media, search hundreds of electronic databases, and more. Who can apply for a library card? Anyone who lives, pays taxes, or owns property in Cherokee, Pickens, or Gilmer County is eligible to receive a free library card for use throughout the Sequoyah Regional Library System. To receive a card, visit your local branch and bring a photo ID showing current local address, OR a photo ID with a prior address plus one address verification document that shows a current address. The most common form of ID is a driver’s license, but a utility bill, non-driver ID, or other form that clearly shows an in-county street address will be accepted. If you do not live within the tri-county area (Cherokee, Pickens and Gilmer Counties), but own property here, you are still eligible. Just provide your ID and a tax bill showing the address of your property. You can apply for a card at any of the public libraries that comprise the Sequoyah Regional Library System. If you do not live within the tri-county area (Cherokee, Pickens and Gilmer Counties) OR own property here, you can still apply for a library card for an annual fee of $35.00. Apply for a library card Apply Online Print & Bring In

Sequoyah Regional Library System has announced that construction of the Hickory Flat Public Library Renovation and Expansion project, which broke ground in January of 2023, is currently scheduled to be completed in late summer/early fall of 2024. SRLS News Hickory Flat Public Library Update Nov 1, 2024 Sequoyah Regional Library System has announced that construction of the Hickory Flat Public Library Renovation and Expansion project, which broke ground in January of 2023, is currently scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2024. We are excited to share some of the bright and welcoming colors the community will see in the space. Once construction is complete, there will be several weeks installing shelving, furniture, technology, and the collection. Designed by CAS Architecture, the Hickory Flat Library Renovation and Expansion construction is being completed by Hollandsworth Construction.

The Sequoyah Regional Library System's Outreach team represents the library at community events, hosts Pop-Up Libraries, and offers Shelf Direct Service to Cherokee, Pickens, and Gilmer counties to create awareness about the library, to educate the community about library services, and to bring in new users to SRLS with a focus on underserved communities. Outreach Services The Sequoyah Regional Library System's Outreach team represents the library at community events, hosts Pop-Up Libraries, and offers Shelf Direct Service to Cherokee, Pickens, and Gilmer counties to create awareness about the library, to educate the community about library services, and to bring in new users to SRLS with a focus on underserved communities. Get to know our Discovery Outreach Transport, DOT! Bringing SRLS services to you in style, DOT carries our Outreach Team to local community events for Pop-Up Libraries, Storytimes, and more. Sign up for a library card and check out a book on the go! To request an Outreach visit, visit our Contact Us Form and select “Outreach” from the topics dropdown. Request Outreach Request Shelf Direct Services Outreach FAQs Where does the library do outreach? SRLS outreach serves the community throughout Cherokee, Pickens, and Gilmer Counties. The library prioritizes events such as festivals, farmers markets, large scale school events, and events that are unique to SRLS communities. How can I request Outreach? Outreach can be requested by completing the online form . What is Shelf Direct Services? The Sequoyah Regional Library System can mail materials directly to your home if you are unable to visit the library. The Shelf-Direct Service offers you the convenience of receiving and returning materials in a postage-paid mail pouch What is a Pop-Up Library? Pop-Up Libraries are our way of bringing the library to you! Designed to be engaging and accessible for everyone, Pop-Up Libraries have library materials available for check out and includes activities such as arts and crafts, games, and programming for the community. We can be found in parks and community centers to schools and senior living facilities. If you see us out in the community, make sure to say hello, check out a book, and learn more about the library! Can I check out books with outreach? Books are available for check out at Pop-Up Library events which are posted on our event calendar . Can I get a library card at an outreach event? Yes. All outreach events provide an opportunity to get a library card and to register to vote. Please check here for eligibility requirements.

SRLS News Hickory Flat Public Library Update August 30, 2023 HF Construction Is on Schedule.pdf 20230804_103637-scaled.jpg Sequoyah Regional Library System has announced that construction of the Hickory Flat Public Library Renovation and Expansion project, which broke ground in January of 2023, is currently scheduled to be completed in early 2024. SRLS News Hickory Flat Public Library Update August 30, 2023 Sequoyah Regional Library System has announced that construction of the Hickory Flat Public Library Renovation and Expansion project, which broke ground in January of 2023, is currently scheduled to be completed in early 2024.“The next steps include framing, exterior walls, and windows,” says Angela Cortellino, Executive Director of SRLS. “With the work that has been completed in the past few weeks, the building is really starting to take shape.”A majority of the site work has been completed, including utility lines and new building pads that will extend the square footage of the building for expanded youth, programming, and teen spaces. The finished renovation will include an addition of 7,800 square feet to the building. With an expanded and renovated library facility, the SRLS community will have more space for books and technology; larger areas for programs, meetings, collaboration, and creation; and additional seating for study and quiet reading. The Hickory Flat Public Library building will be closed to the public for the entirety of the construction. During the construction, community members can still access SRLS programs and services by visiting any of the neighboring libraries in Cherokee, Pickens, and Gilmer counties. Designed by CAS Architecture, the Hickory Flat Library Renovation and Expansion construction is being completed by Hollandsworth Construction.

We are eight locations working together as one library, to serve our growing communities of Cherokee, Picken,s and Gilmer counties. About Your Library Administration CLICK HERE Board of Trustees CLICK HERE Success Measures CLICK HERE Strategic Plan CLICK HERE Guided by Open Access, Service Excellence, Community Engagement, and Continuous Learning, the Sequoyah Regional Library System (SRLS) has a vision to be the community’s dynamic destination for discovery. We are eight locations working together as one library, to serve our growing communities of Cherokee, Pickens and Gilmer counties. Our mission is to connect people with ideas and opportunities to explore, learn, and create. Vendors CLICK HERE History CLICK HERE Contact Us CLICK HERE Fines & Fees CLICK HERE Job Opportunities CLICK HERE Policies CLICK HERE Library News CLICK HERE Support CLICK HERE

SRLS news Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce Support Our Schools Committee Latest SRLS News The Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce Support Our Schools Committee May 7, 2025 Pictured (L to R): Katie Bowling, Business Development Officer, Coosa Valley Credit Union; Neil Blackman, Principal, Corblu Ecology Group, LLC, and 2025 Chamber Board Chair; Angela Cortellino, Executive Director, Sequoyah Regional Library System. The Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce Support Our Schools Committee, in partnership with Coosa Valley Credit Union, is recognizing retiring educators from the Cherokee County School District by donating funds to the Sequoyah Regional Library System. The funds will be used to purchase books for the library branches located in Cherokee County. The books will include a label recognizing all faculty, staff, and administrators who retired during the 2024-2025 school year. Each retiree will receive notification that a book is being donated in their honor.

SRLS News Hickory Flat Public Library Renovation Update SRLS News Hickory Flat Public Library Update Feb 1, 2024 Sequoyah Regional Library System has announced that construction of the Hickory Flat Public Library Renovation and Expansion project, which broke ground in January of 2023, is currently scheduled to be completed in late summer/early fall of 2024. Weather concerns and material delays with steel have prevented progress on the metal roof of the building. These delays have added a few more months to wait for completion. “We have had a few delays,” shares Angela Cortellino, Executive Director of SRLS. “We are looking at just a few extra months before we will be able to open this fantastic facility. I know once we open our doors, everyone will be excited and ready to celebrate with us.” Once construction is complete, there will be several weeks installing shelving, furniture, and technology, as well as moving in the collection. Designed by CAS Architecture, the Hickory Flat Library Renovation and Expansion construction is being completed by Hollandsworth Construction. The finished renovation will include an addition of 7,800 square feet to the building. With an expanded and renovated library facility, the SRLS community will have more space for books and technology; larger areas for programs, meetings, collaboration, and creation; and additional seating for study and quiet reading. The Hickory Flat Public Library building will be closed to the public for the entirety of the construction. During the construction, community members can still access SRLS programs and services by visiting any of the neighboring libraries in Cherokee, Pickens, and Gilmer counties.

< Back Sequoyah Regional Library System Receives $1,000 Donation from the Retired Educator Recognition Initiative The Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce Education Committee, in partnership with Enjoy Cherokee Magazine and WLJA 101.1 FM, has donated $1,000 to Sequoyah Regional Library System in recognition of retiring educators from the Cherokee County School District. The donation will be used to purchase materials for the library locations in Cherokee county. Previous Next

Calendar of Events at the Sequoyah Regional Library System SRLS Events

About the history of Sequoyah Regional Library System About Your Library History of SRLS In September of 1922, the Canton Woman’s Club put forth the initial plans for a public library in Canton, and in 1923, the club 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 and 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, also providing 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. In 1932, Pickens County Library had its beginnings when a group of 4-H girls and Home Demonstration Clubs expressed a desire for something to read. Henrietta White Darnell, a Home Demonstration agent, borrowed fifty books at a time from the Georgia State Library Commission and checked them out to her club members. While the present Pickens County courthouse was under construction, the library was housed in the Pickens County High School (now Jasper Middle) until 1949, when the library was given a room in the basement of the newly constructed courthouse. Charter members of the Pickens County Library Board of Trustees were Ruth Adams, Marjorie Floyd Butchart, and Henrietta Darnell. In 1958, the Pickens County Library became affiliated with R.T. Jones Library, creating the Cherokee-Pickens Regional Library. Gilmer County Library was founded in the summer of 1940 as a room inside the Gilmer County Courthouse. Started as a federal W.P.A. project, the library also had local support from J & C Bedspread Company, the City of Ellijay, and the Ellijay Women’s Club. Charter members of the Gilmer County Library Board of Trustees were Mrs. E.T. Hudson, Chairman; Mrs. R.W. Smith, Co-Chairman; Mayor Willard Holden; L.N. Foster, School Superintendent; C.F. Owen, Editor; and 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, and during the summer of 1956 the library moved into a building 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). This location 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, with their report returning favorable if finances could be achieved. At that time, Gilmer County library was funded by a 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 formalized to join the regional system with the Cherokee and Pickens counties. Commissioner Harold Hefner and Superintendent Everett Weeks agreed to increase their offices’ contributions, making it possible for Gilmer County Library to join the regional library. On July 1, 1961 the Cherokee-Pickens-Gilmer Regional Library was renamed as the Sequoyah Regional Library System. In the late 1980s, the 8,000 square foot R.T. Jones Library at 400 East Main Street was no longer sufficient for the growing population. Chairman of the Board of Trustees W.W. Denney began the search for a site to house a larger facility, and on July 20, 1989 a transaction was completed that would provide three acres for a new 30,000 square foot building. Cherokee County purchased the building on Main Street, making the site on Highway 20 near I-575 available. Groundbreaking was held March 8, 1990, and on May 1, 1991 the building opened to the public. Dedication of the R.T. Jones Memorial Library, 116 Brown Industrial Parkway, was held June 12, 1991 with Chairman Denney giving a warm welcome and Senator Bill Hasty introducing the speaker, Lt. Governor Pierre Howard. In 1964, the Woodstock Public Library was established and as the community’s population grew, additional library space was needed to keep pace with growth. In Cherokee County, three new libraries were added as a response to the exponential growth that was taking place in the 1980s and 1990s: Rose Creek Public Library in 1991, Hickory Flat Public Library in 1993, and Ball Ground Public Library in 1997. In 1996, the Sequoyah Regional Library System signed a contract with the Cherokee County Law Library Board to administer the Law Library located in the Justice Center. More than 100 years after the beginning of R.T. Jones Library in Canton, Sequoyah Regional Library System strives to continue offering new resources, programs, and spaces to keep pace with the community’s need for more services. Pickens County Library, D.B Carrol Street location, 1980-1994 Gilmer County Library, Dalton Street Location, 1977-2007