Library History
The first public library in Wake County, the Olivia Raney Library, was chartered in 1899 in downtown Raleigh and opened its doors to the public on January 24, 1901. The library was erected in tribute to the late wife of Richard B. Raney, across from the family home on the corner of Salisbury and Hillsborough streets. Today, a North Carolina Historic Properties sign marks the location.
The second libraries in the county were opened by the Garner Women’s Club in the town of Garner (1931) and by Mollie Huston Lee on Raleigh’s Hargett Street (1935). The latter, Richard B. Harrison Library, relocated twice and is in current operation at 1313 New Bern Ave. By the 1960s, libraries had been established through the grassroots efforts of volunteers and civic clubs in the towns of Wendell, Zebulon, Fuquay-Varina, Cary and Wake Forest. In 1965, the Olivia Raney Library and the Richard B. Harrison Library merged, and local discussions began with town libraries/library boards to develop a system of service for all residents of the county. In 1970, Library Director William O’Shea established a countywide advisory board, as library branches opened in the suburban areas of Raleigh – North Hills, Southgate and Cameron Village – as well as in the town of Knightdale. By 1978, Wake County Commissioners Betty Ann Knudsen, Bob Heater, Stewart Adcock and Edmund Aycock had agreed to merge many of the libraries in the county, and more importantly, Wake County government agreed to assume full fiscal responsibility for library service. By 1985, all libraries, from Apex to Zebulon, were united in one system and were fully financed by tax dollars collected by Wake County.
In 1982, a new Library Director, Thomas L. Moore, introduced the regional library concept, which placed large, full-service libraries in major geographic quadrants and/or population centers of the county and closed the system’s outdated “main” library. Mr. Moore also supervised the system’s first book inventory and employed the new idea of “popular reading” as a basis for the system’s collection development philosophy. In 1985, the Cameron Village branch expanded into a new location in the shopping center as the system’s first regional library. A $5 million bond issue passed, and a new North Regional opened to replace the North Hills Library in 1986. The Wendell and Fuquay-Varina libraries were expanded in new facilities. The system’s third regional library, Southeast Regional, opened to replace the former Garner Library in 1989 as the system’s first library with an automated catalog and circulation system. Every library in the system was fully automated by 1992.
In the early 1990s, a $10 million bond referendum passed, and several building projects expanded and modernized the system. A fourth regional library, Eva Perry Regional, replaced the Apex branch in a unique partnership between the town and Wake County. Community branch libraries were opened on Duraleigh Road to serve the residents of West Raleigh and on Green Road to serve residents along the North Capital Boulevard corridor, and the South Raleigh Library was refurbished. Both the Wake Forest and the Zebulon libraries were replaced with new and expanded facilities. The Olivia Raney Local History Library opened in 1996, using the bond money and the remaining Olivia Raney Family Trust funds. In 1997, the Electronic Information Center opened downtown as the first library in the system to offer public Internet access. By 1999, public Internet access was available in every library in the county. Two new Bookmobiles were added to the system to serve preschool children in daycare settings around the county. The last of the bond money was used to replace the Knightdale Library with the system’s fifth regional library, East Regional, in December 1999.
In 2001, the library system celebrated its centennial with its first written history by former librarian Roy Dicks and by the creation of a Public Library Trust Fund, held by the Triangle Community Foundation. In 2002, the library system hosted a “Libraries of the Future” symposium and created its new Strategic Business Plan. This plan has seen several revisions and updates over the years.
In 2003, a $35 million bond referendum passed with a 70%+ approval rate. In 2005, both Richard B. Raney and Mollie Huston Lee were inducted in the inaugural City of Raleigh Hall of Fame for their contributions as founders of the Wake County Public Library system. The Cameron Village Regional Library was expanded in a totally renovated 36,000 sq. ft. building that opened to the public in January 2006. In September 2006, a sixth regional library, the West Regional Library, opened to offer expanded service to the residents of the Apex/Cary/Morrisville area. In December 2006, a new community library was opened in the town of Holly Springs, with a partnership arrangement wherein the county operated the library with an adjacent town-operated community center. Also in 2006, WiFi access was made available in all county libraries. North Regional Library reopened in a new, expanded and county-owned facility in January 2007. The Leesville Community Library is to open in September 2009. The completion of a Northeast Regional Library, off U.S. 1 North, and the renovation and expansion of the Wake Forest Community Library will follow.
A $45 million bond passed with a 76% voter approval rate in 2008, and bonds are to be sold late in 2010 for future growth and expansion of the Wake County Public Libraries.
Library Director Thomas L. Moore retired in June 2009. A new director is expected to be on the job in early 2010.
– August 2009
Click on a library below to read more about its history:
The Athens Drive Community Library occupies a unique position in Wake County and North Carolina as the only public library housed within a high school. This cooperative library serves as the local branch for the southwestern Raleigh area as well as the media center for the Athens Drive High School students.
In the late 1970s, City Councilwoman Miriam Block envisioned a public library as part of the new Athens Drive Educational Environmental Complex. This educational facility would be open to the community. The new high school, which opened in 1978, would serve as the anchor but would encompass the Lake Johnson recreational park and greenway, Community Schools, night classes, a childcare facility, and the Athens Drive Public Library.
Throughout its history, Athens Drive has been recognized as an innovative concept for its shared public resources. As a result, the Athens community enjoys all the benefits of a full service library as well as a variety of other county services. The Athens Drive Community Library is managed by Christine Meyer (christine.meyer@wakegov.com).
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The Cameron Village Regional Library is one of six regional libraries and is located in the Cameron Village Shopping Center, which is the oldest center of its kind in the Southeast. The library serves the established Raleigh neighborhoods of Brooklyn, Cameron Park, Five Points, Hayes Barton, Method, Oberlin and University Park. It is located within walking distance of several daycares, preschools and elementary schools, Broughton High School, St. Mary’s School, Peace College, Meredith College, and NC State University. In addition to the increase of young families moving into older neighborhoods and a large number of retirees, the library sees many customers from the African-American, Asian-American and Latino-Hispanic communities. Cameron Village Regional Library serves as a resource library for the Richard B. Harrison Community Library on New Bern Avenue and the Olivia Raney Local History Library in the Wake County Office Park.
Cameron Village Regional Library has approximately 170,000 volumes in its book collection and circulates more than one million books annually. In addition, the library has 60 computers for public use. WiFi is available throughout the library for users with adaptable laptops, and special computers are dedicated to the online catalog throughout the library. The catalog may also be accessed online from any computer terminal at www.wakegov.com/libraries. The Cameron Village Regional Library is arranged much like a bookstore with books shelved in popular “genres.” New books are displayed prominently in all three service areas, and audio books are available for both children and adults. There are also meeting rooms that may be reserved for public, nonprofit use.
There is a programming space for children’s story times and author visits that features a mural drawn from the cover art of The Library by Sarah Stewart and David Small. The library features original illustrations by local artists Consie Powell, Lloyd Skidmore and Ann Fearington as well as metal sculptures by artist Bill Hickman in the Children's Department. The library features a rotating collection of art in the Quiet Study Room by members of the Visual Art Exchange of Wake County and a rotating display of children's art from local schools in the downstairs pass-through between adult fiction and picture books.
The library sees more than 3,500 visitors a day and is open 68 hours a week. Twenty-three staff members are available to assist with the reference and reading needs of customers of all ages.
Regional supervisor is Dale Cousins (gcousins@wakegov.com).
Cameron Village Regional Library Timeline
October 1974: Cameron Village Branch Library opens in a 2,500 sq. ft. storefront at 434 Woodburn Road, with a collection of 6,000 volumes.
1979: The library’s card catalog is closed and replaced by COM readers (Catalog on microfilm); libraries begin to register voters.
April 1985: Cameron Village Branch moves around the corner to become the system’s first Regional Library, with 16,000 sq. feet on two levels and 80,000 volumes and features the library system’s first “Quiet Study Room.” Wake County assumes full fiscal responsibility for countywide library service.
July 1989: The library undergoes a renovation and expands to 20,000 sq. feet on one floor, with 120,000 volumes. The library’s circulation and book catalog are fully automated.
1997: Public access to the Internet is first offered in the library.
September 2003: Wake County Board of Commissioners approves the construction, design and budget for the total renovation and expansion of the library. Wake County signs a 20-year lease to have the library remain in the Cameron Village Shopping Center.
January 2006: The new and expanded, 36,000 sq ft library opens to the public after 18 months of construction and a temporary relocation.
April 2006: The library receives a Triangle CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women) award for "Best Community Enhancement."
July 2006: The library receives a merit award from the NC Chapter of the American Institute of Architects for the design and concept of its renovated building.
September 2006: The library wins a Sir Walter Appearance Award from the City of Raleigh for best creative reuse of an existing site.
January 2007: The library celebrates its first birthday in the new and expanded facility.
January 2009: The library-as-community-center features rotating art by local artists, Musical Mondays featuring local musicians, and hosts a coffee bar as a public amenity.
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The Cary Community Library first opened its doors for service on October 22, 1960, at 143 W. Chatham St. The founding impetus of the library was the Cary Junior Women's Club, which had secured a $3,000 award from the North Carolina Library Commission. Mrs. Margaret L. Sherwood, who served as the first librarian, reported that 7,140 books were checked out that year. In July 1961, the Town of Cary began funding the library operations.
In 1964, the Library moved to upstairs quarters at 126 E. Chatham St. The Cary Jaycettes helped with the renovation and move. It was also in 1964 that the Cary Friends of the Library group was formed to provide continuing support for the library program.
Mrs. Polly Williams succeeded as librarian in 1965, and as the library collection and use continued to grow, the Library Board began to search for new facilities.
In 1968, the Library moved again, this time to a location at 118 S. Academy St., where it remained for five years. In 1969, the Cary Library joined with the Wake County Public Library system to better provide services for the local community. The tremendous popularity of the Library was evident when, in 1972-73, the Cary Library circulated more than 63,000 items.
The Library moved to its fourth "temporary" quarters in 1973, this time to the location at 145 W. Chatham St. Mrs. Joyce Antrim was the librarian. It was at this time that a grassroots effort began among the citizens of Cary who were determined to build a "permanent" library. Through their efforts, a $750,000 library bond issue was passed in 1974.
Because of growth, the space for books, people and programs was limited. The Cary Library was forced to move again, back to Academy Street, this time into the new Town Hall. Mrs. Carol Frushour served as librarian during this period.
In the fall of 1976, construction began for a brand-new building located at 310 S. Academy St. On October 23, 1977, the dedication ceremony officially opened the Library to the people of Cary, almost 27 years to the day from its original beginnings.
More than 40 years later, the Library is still going strong. It has been at its present location for 23 years. Over the years, many librarians have served at the Cary Library, including Barbara Buescher, Dale Cousins, Mike Wasilick, Terri Luke, Janet Lockhart and current branch manager Liz Bartlett (lbartlett@wakegov.com).
Now, in the year 2009, the collection has 110,000 books, and more than 809,000 books were circulated from the Cary Public Library in 2008-2009. Whatever changes have occurred throughout the past 40 years, the Library and its public have remained loyal and committed to each other. In fact, this is affirmed each day, showing that the Cary Community Library truly lives in the "Heart of Cary."
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Duraleigh Road Community Library opened June 29, 1991, at 5800 Duraleigh Road in Raleigh, with Linda Cooper serving as branch manager. Funds for this new library were obtained as part of a bond referendum passed by voters in 1989. Library officials wanted to offer library services in this underserved but rapidly growing northern sector of our county. Duraleigh Road is a community library with a collection of approximately 70,000 volumes. Customers come here to find "something good to read" as well as for homework help, picture books, children's programs and a carefully selected browsing collection of fiction and nonfiction for all ages. In a typical month, the Duraleigh Road Community Library sees 40,000 people of all ages. Linda Cooper (
lcooper@wakegov.com) remains the branch manager.
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The Knightdale Public Library opened its doors in 1971 as a joint undertaking of the Town of Knightdale and the Wake County Public Library System. Joyce Smith ran the facility with a small volunteer staff. The library's first location was the brick building on First Avenue directly across from Arden Farm Antiques.
During the first year the library's card-carrying members grew to more than 1,000, with a collection of about 3,000 books and 100 records for all ages and interests. Another service was the new "copy-making" machine, which was used to copy many legal documents but was more popular for copying quilting and cross-stitch patterns. The community very enthusiastically supported the library and its own charter of The Friends of the Library. These groups held bake sales, craft bazaars and lotteries to raise funds to benefit their community library. Each Wednesday afternoon a group of "Library Ladies" would meet at 1:30 to do quilting needlework. Another group of ladies met on Tuesday evenings at 7:30 to crochet. Many of these projects were later sold to help raise a portion of the library's budget for the year.
In 1975 Anne Hildebrand became the Knightdale librarian. She was faced with new issues. The location on First Avenue was too small to accommodate the near-6,000-volume collection, nor could the library accept additional titles the Wake County Library System made available to branches on a rotating basis. In addition, the library was unable to have special programs for children and adults due to the space constraints; however, relief was on its way in the form of a new Town Hall that was willing to devote half its space to the library. The new facility was capable of housing 11,000 books, with a central meeting room where special programs could be held. The library moved into the Town Hall building in March 1978.
After Anne Hildebrand retired in 1984, the library continued to thrive under the management of Peggy Patterson. Circulation grew and attendance at children's storytimes often had the branch bursting at its seams.
In 1989 when Angie Stephens became the Knightdale branch manager, the "new" Town Hall location was no longer adequate. Through renovations and fiberglass display cases, Mrs. Stephens was able to fit in a collection of 24,000 volumes. The hours of operation were also increased to Mondays and Wednesdays, 2-8 p.m.; Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10-6 p.m.; Fridays, 2-6 p.m.; and Saturdays, 10-2 p.m.; however, the increased hours and larger collection scarcely met the demands of the growing Knightdale community. Again, relief was on the way. The town was building a new Town Hall to be located at Steeple Square Court. The Town Hall's move would give the library two new storage rooms to house non-seasonal titles and create more shelf space.
A Wake County-sponsored referendum called for the construction of a regional library to be built in Knightdale. The Town of Knightdale donated land for this project adjacent to the new Town Hall at Steeple Square. The project was initiated in 1998, and East Regional Library celebrated its grand opening on December 6, 1999.
The beautiful 21,000-square-foot facility had an opening-day collection of more than 110,000 volumes and a staff of 17 full-time employees. It offers a small conference room for community use as well as a quiet study room and children's programming room. The library is currently open 68 hours a week and has 31 computers for patrons to use. WiFi is available throughout the library for users with adaptable laptops, and special computers are dedicated to the online catalog throughout the library.
The East Regional acting supervisor is Carol Laing (Carol.Laing@wakegov.com).
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The system's first express library, Express Library at Fayetteville Street opened on March 17, 1997. It was the first branch of the library system to offer public Internet access. The Library is located at the site of two previous downtown libraries, the Business and Professional Library and the Downtown Popular Lending Library. The Library continues to evolve, providing readers' advisory service, book clubs and lifelong learning programming to downtown customers. The library also offers telephone reference, Ask-A-Librarian e-mail service and public Internet access at nine computer stations.
The Express Library at Fayetteville Street branch manager is Christie Starnes (Christie.Starnes@wakegov.com).
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The first Apex Community Library opened in the late 1940s on South Salem Street. This library was a branch of the Richard B. Harrison Library of Raleigh. When the Harrison Library merged with the Olivia Raney Library in 1965, the Apex Library moved to an uptown location. At this time town officials appointed a Library Board of Trustees to negotiate with Wake County Public Libraries for books and part of the salary for a librarian. When the railroad presented the town with its old depot, a citizen went before town officials and asked that the building be used as a library. At that time committees of volunteers were formed to involve the community in this project. Special effort was made to preserve the original character of the building. In 1972, the Apex Community Library opened as one of the finest and most attractive small libraries in the state. The library remained at the depot location until December 1995.
Miss Rachel Lewter served as librarian in Apex from the opening of the one-room library in town until 1986. After Ms. Lewter's retirement, Rebecca Carter, Linda Cooper and Cindy McConnell all worked as branch managers at the depot location.
In 1985, the Town of Apex received a generous gift from Mrs. Eva H. Perry. In her will Mrs. Perry instructed that the proceeds from the sale of her land go to the town to be used for the sole purpose of providing the community with a new library. The Town of Apex partnered with Wake County Public Libraries to build a regional library that serves the southwest region of the county. The Eva H. Perry Regional Library was opened in January 1996. The distinctive 23,000-square-foot building provides a particularly appealing setting for library users. It has large overhead skylights, a glass-enclosed quiet reading room, an attractive conference room available for public use, and a treehouse for children's programming. One of the most unique features is a 1,400-square-foot mural painted on the wall of the Youth Services Department depicting characters from children's literature. The library offers 31 computers for public use and houses approximately 180,000 volumes. The Eva H. Perry Regional Library is open 68 hours a week.
Terri Luke managed the library from its opening in 1996 until 2005, when Christina Piscitello (Christina.Piscitello@wakegov.com) assumed the Regional Manager position.
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In 1954, a newly formed library commission, along with members of the Fuquay-Varina Woman's Club, opened the first Fuquay-Varina Public Library on Academy Street. Within three years it was apparent that the community needed a larger facility to meet the growing demand for library services.
In 1960, a new building was opened on North Woodrow Street. Fuquay-Varina became the first town in Wake County to design and build a facility that was specifically constructed as a library. In 1970, the community library became part of the Wake County library system.
In 1986, the Town of Fuquay-Varina funded the design and construction of a larger facility on the corner of Fuquay Avenue and Raleigh Street. The current building was dedicated in 1988. In 1998, Wake County renovated the busy library, which continues to be one of the most utilized community branches in Wake County. The Fuquay-Varina Community Library is due to be enhanced or replaced with funds from the 2008 bond package.
The Fuquay-Varina Community Library manager is Cindy McConnell (lmcconnell@wakegov.com).
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Opened on May 5, 1997, Green Road Community Library serves the diverse neighborhoods of the "Mini-City" area of Raleigh and responds to the public service needs of the Wake County community at large.
This library was built as a result of a taxpayer-supported library bond referendum. Wake County and the City of Raleigh made possible the innovative partnering of land use at Green Road Park that brought this facility to life. This cooperative effort continues through collaborative programming with the Green Road Community Center.
The library features regular programs and a broad range of reading materials for adults and children of all ages. The book and Internet database collections aim to serve school projects through 12th grade.
The branch manager is Travis Horton (thorton@wakegov.com).
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The Holly Springs Community Library opened December 9, 2006, as the newest community branch in the Wake County Public Library System. The library was built as a result of a taxpayer-supported library bond referendum and sits on land that was given to Wake County by the Town of Holly Springs. This library provides a unique opportunity to partner with the town and the community.
The library is approximately 8,000 square feet in size. It shares a 2,000-square-foot lobby with the Holly Springs Cultural Center. There is a dedicated children’s programming space within the library. There will also be unique opportunities to collaborate on programs with the Cultural Arts Center.
The library features a collection of popular reading materials for children, teens and adults. Internet access, research databases and popular periodicals will also be available. Informational and recreational programs will be offered to patrons of all ages.
Library features:
- Two user friendly service desks
- More than 71,000 items in the collection
- Magazines and newspapers for adults, teens and children
- Twenty Internet and research computers
- Four online library catalogs
- Two self-service checkouts and self-service holds
- 24-hour drive-up book drops for Youth and Adult materials
The Holly Springs Community Library manager is Elena Owens (eowens@wakegov.com).
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The Leesville Community Library will officially open its doors to the public with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, September 26, 2009, beginning at 11 a.m. Officials from Wake County and the City of Raleigh will be joined by local residents to celebrate the library’s opening.
Once open, the 8,000-square-foot facility will offer 55,000 books, 20 public computers and programs designed for library patrons of all ages. Eighty volunteers from the surrounding community have already signed up to help library staff.
As part of an agreement with the City of Raleigh, the park will initially consist of a playground and picnic facilities, with future plans for a community center and interpretive trails.
Jean Fargo (jean.fargo@wakegov.com) is manager of the Leesville Community Library.
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Originally opened in 1971 in North Hills Mall, this branch of Olivia Raney Library serving North Raleigh quickly grew and has migrated and changed names several times. In 1984 we became Twin Forks Library, at the intersection of Lynn and Six Forks roads. In 1986 we enlarged our scope and moved to a bigger space within the same office park as Northwest Regional Library.
Ongoing growth prompted still further expansion: in 1991, we became North Regional Library and relocated to a leased 20,000-square-foot building and continued as the second busiest library in the state. In 2006, we relocated to our own building off Harps Mill and Falls of Neuse roads. Our book collection is now more than 200,000 volumes and we circulate 1.6 million items a year.
In 1995, we introduced public Internet access with two terminals. We currently have 23 Internet computers for kids and 39 for adults, featuring Microsoft Office and internal links to our collection of electronic databases.
Since our beginning we have provided programs that educate and entertain children of all ages; more recently we have expanded our programming for adults. North Regional Library patrons are committed readers, encouraging their children to read. As a result, young people account for about half of all materials checked out.
North Raleigh is a rapidly growing area. Its residents support library service 68 hours a week by visiting our branch often, attending programs, borrowing books and finding information. Our patrons continue to be the most important aspect of our history.
The acting regional supervisor is Robin Hemrick (rhemrick@wakegov.com).
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The Olivia Raney Local History Branch is a reincarnation of the name of the original public library of Raleigh, which was chartered in 1899, opening in January 1901. Located at the corner of Hillsborough and Salisbury streets, the original library was created in memory of Olivia Blount Raney by her widower, Richard Beverly Raney. This building was used until the mid-1970s, when the collection was moved to the Kress Building on Fayetteville Street. This library was closed in the mid-1980s, with much of the collection being moved to the Cameron Village Library as part of a new regional concept in our library system.
About 10 years later, a movement by interested citizens brought forth a successful bond issue and funding to support a local history library in the Wake County Library System. This beautiful facility is located on the Wake County Government campus called the Wake County Office Park, off Poole Road, just outside the Beltline, at 4016 Carya Drive. Its neighbors are the Library Administration Building and Historic Oak View County Park, with its well-known pecan grove.
The collection of nearly 40,000 items is primarily local and family history-oriented, broadly interpreted to serve the diverse background of local residents today. One will find background materials on American, North Carolina and local history for students and researchers. For the genealogist, there is a variety of resources covering both American and international geographical areas. Researchers can contact library staff for more information.
Copies of Wake, Capital County of North Carolina are available for purchase at the Olivia Raney Local History Library.
Find out about our newest collection from local historian Elizabeth Reid Murray. Learn about some of our other collections.
Karen Marie Allen (Karen.Allen@wakegov.com) is the manager of the Olivia Raney Local History Library.
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Overview of Services
The Richard B. Harrison Community Library is one of 12 community branch libraries in the Wake County Public Library System. Harrison is conveniently located at 1313 New Bern Ave., just five minutes east of downtown Raleigh. The 9,000-square-foot building houses more than 38,000 books for both adults and children. The
Mollie Huston Lee Collection, named for the first African-American librarian in Wake County, is a major draw for researchers and those interested in African-American history. The Lee Collection is more than 6,000 volumes strong and is composed of both adult and juvenile fiction and nonfiction, serials, pamphlets and vertical file materials.
It is the strong community presence, however, that really sets this branch apart. The diverse population is drawn to the collection, 19 public Internet-use computers and programming that reflects the aspirations of the community. The Richard B. Harrison community auditorium is open to the public for meetings and not-for-profit gatherings of all kinds. On any given day groups as diverse as alumni organizations, songwriters, theater groups and community action organizations can be found gathering in this area. If crowds aren't your style, the Harrison Library also provides a quiet study room. The welcoming environment of the Richard B. Harrison Library is enjoyed by students and families alike.
The original structure was a small, storefront building that opened in 1935 with a collection of 890 books. The building was located on East Hargett Street, in the heart of the black business community in Raleigh. The library was named for Canadian-born Richard Berry Harrison, a noted black actor and professor of drama at N.C. A&T College in Greensboro during the 1930s. Harrison was brought to national prominence for his role of "The Lawd" in the play "Green Pastures." With founder Mrs. Mollie Huston Lee's leadership and strong community support, the library grew, and in 1948 a building was purchased on South Blount Street, which provided more floor space and a separate room for children's programs. In 1966, with the merging of the Richard B. Harrison Library and the Wake County Public Library System, plans were begun for a new facility. In June 1967 the library moved to its current location on New Bern Avenue. The library was completely renovated in 1989. The Richard B. Harrison Community Library is due for renovation using funding from the 2010 bonds sale.
Branch manager is Wanda Cox-Bailey (wcox-bailey@wakegov.com).
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In 1928, first efforts were made by the Garner Woman's Club to organize a library in Garner. Finally, in 1931, the first Garner library was sponsored by the Garner Woman's Club and opened on Main Street. Mrs. Ella Dupree was paid a nominal fee by the WPA to circulate books bought by the Woman's Club. When the library closed in 1933, the Olivia Raney Library bookmobile provided Garner with library service. Intermittent efforts were made from 1933-1955 by the Woman's Club to reopen its library to Garner citizens. Beginning in 1956 the Garner Public Library was open on Thursdays in one room of the Woman's Club Clubhouse located on Hwy. 70. The Woman's Club and Junior Woman's Club members staffed it. During the summer of 1957 members of the Junior Woman's Club conducted story hours for children. In 1960, the Woman's Club library closed, and the county bookmobile service once again provided books to the citizens of Garner.
In 1968, the Garner Public Library opened on November 8 at 106 E. Main St. in the old Town Hall building (space from the barber shop next door was added later). Sponsored jointly by the town's Golden Age Club and the Woman's Club, the library was staffed by volunteer help, with Mrs. Portia Banks serving as head librarian. The library inherited from the Woman's Club library a collection of books dating back to 1931 from its first library. Donations and a collection from Wake County Public Library supplemented this. The Town Board provided the building and its maintenance and appointed a seven-member Library Board of Trustees. Bill Rand served as first chairman of the Library Board of Trustees. In 1970, the Garner Library Board of Trustees entered into a contract with Wake County Public Libraries. The county provided library materials, supplies and personnel for purchasing and processing all books. Garner provided the building and maintenance and would provide funds to employ clerical help. In 1972, the Town of Garner appropriated money for a paid staff. Rosemary Carmichael (supervisor), Evelyn Stevens and Opal Pegram (library assistants) were the first library employees paid by the Town. In 1975, the citizens of Garner approved a bond issue for a new library building, and the Garner Public Library relocated on July 7 to the first building specifically built for that purpose, in the new town complex at 902 7th Ave. The new building was 4,500 square feet with a seating capacity of 36 and a book collection capacity of 35,000 volumes. In 1982, Wake County took over management of the library, and in 1985, Wake County voters approved a $5 million bond issue for library improvements, including plans for the new Southeast Regional Library next door at 908 7th Ave.
Grand opening and dedication of the Southeast Regional Library (SER) took place on a snowy Monday night, February 20, 1989. SER opened as the third regional library in the Wake County Public Libraries system, and was the first fully automated library in the system. The 22,000-square-foot facility, with a seating capacity of 200, was built at a cost of $1.6 million. In 1991, Rosemary Carmichael resigned as branch supervisor after serving 20 years in that capacity, and Mike Wasilick was named the new branch manager. In 1993, Gail Harrell (eharrell@wakegov.com) was appointed branch manager and still holds that position today.
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In March 1972 the Raleigh City Council proposed that the south side of Raleigh receive a branch library. A site was found, the staff was hired, and South Raleigh Library opened its doors in January 1973. The library was located at 1514 Proctor Road, and Jo Anne Cannady was the first branch manager. The library location, in a complex with a convenience store and a supper club, posed some difficulties, but library staff worked hard, and in May 1975 four new staff members were hired. Wesley C. Alston, a native of Raleigh and a recent graduate of Saint Augustine's College, was hired as the new supervisor. The operating hours were Monday-Friday, 1:30-5:30 p.m. In spite of innovative programs and good service, circulation was deemed too low to support the high cost of service for this branch, and in 1977 the Raleigh Advisory Library Board voted 4-1 to temporarily relocate or close it. Proposals for relocation were taken to the Raleigh City Council, but they voted to leave the library in the Southgate location.
Since the library was to remain its current location, the question became how to design a program of service, regardless of the location, that would more accurately reflect and meet the needs of the community.
In 1978 a new assistant, Barbara Richburg, and a new branch manager, Barbara Alston, were hired. New operating hours were established as Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; and Sunday, 1:30-5:30 p.m.
The new staff jumped right in, established a community advisory board and recruited groups to attend children's storytime and adult programs. The children's programmer, Ron Jones, and Mrs. Richburg handled all the programming. Location continued to be a problem, so it was decided to relocate the branch to 507 Newcombe Road. Rather than close the branch completely before the new location was ready, the hours were changed to accommodate groups currently attending programs. On February 5, 1981, South Raleigh Library opened its doors at the new location. Then, there was word about a shopping center being built near Rock Quarry and Cross Link roads. Putting the library in a shopping center in Southeast Raleigh was predicated to be the best permanent solution for this wandering branch, so South Raleigh Library packed up and moved again. The doors opened at the Southgate Plaza address November 15, 1985. The branch was remodeled in 1993 with a whole new look, new furniture and new shelving for the first time. In 2007, the library was once again renovated and expanded into adjacent space.
The branch manager is Avis Jones (Avis.Jones@wakegov.com).
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In September 1961 Catharine Paschal, a member of the Olivia Raney Library Board, procured $3,000 in federal funds from the State Library to establish a public library in Wake Forest. This first grant was to be used for the librarian's salary, books and furnishings. The Wake Woman's Club also campaigned door to door to raise additional funds for the establishment of a library. The Wake Forest Public Library's first location was in the old W.W. Holding Company office and was donated by the Holding family for a public library. The book shelves were built by the Agriculture students at Wake Forest High School. The grand opening of the library was on November 15, 1961, and the first librarian was Helen Sistrunk. The library was open 15 hours a week. The collection included 1,000 books, which had been donated by citizens. During the first month of operation, the library issued 81 cards and circulated 111 books. Cards for children were 25 cents and for adults were 50 cents. The out-of-county fee was $1. From the beginning this library had a relationship with the Olivia Raney Library. Many of the books made available were on loan to the Wake Forest Public Library from the Olivia Raney Library.
In 1973 the Wake Forest Library relocated to the old Central Carolina Bank building at 123 S. White Street. The Library remained in this building until October 1996. Funds from a County bond referendum was used to build a new 5,000-square-foot facility on Holding Avenue. Henry Miller, an original Library Board member, left $53,000 to the Wake Forest Public Library in his will. This money was used to assist with the building of the new library. On November 17, 1996, the Wake Forest Library opened in its new location at 400 E. Holding Ave. with a collection of 45,000 volumes. The Wake Forest Community Library will soon be expanded with 2010 bond dollars.
Past managers of the Wake Forest Community Library have included Helen Sistrunk, Mrs. Kent Barbee, Pearl Ray, Irene Holding, Joyce Board, Sandra Hope, Ann Burlingame and Christina Holmes. The current manager is Yvonne Allen (yallen@wakegov.com).
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On July 16, 1950, Wendell Women's Club started the Wendell Library in a room at the Women's Club Building. In 1958 the former Christian Church in Wendell was donated as the site for the new Wendell Library. Renovations were completed on the former church in February 1962, and on May 1, 1962, Mrs. Richard S. (Peggy) Brantley was appointed head librarian. On March 3, 1963, a dedication and open house was held for the new Wendell Library, located on Buffaloe Street and Wilson Avenue. In August 1970 the Wendell Library Board voted to receive book funding from the Wake County Public Library system, and in July 1983 the Board voted to merge with the WCPL system. On April 1, 1985, Mrs. Brantley retired, and Holly Cook-Wood became the branch manager. In 1986, a library construction project was approved for a new, 5,000-square-foot building at a site on Hollybrook Road, next to the East Wake Senior Center. Linda Mansfield was branch manager at the time of the grand opening of the new Wendell Library building, on May 22, 1989. Janet Poole served as acting manager until January 1990, when Maria Hoffman was hired. She served until mid-1994, and Karen Robinson was branch manager from 1994 to 1996. In October 1996 Liz Bartlett was hired as branch manager and served in this capacity until January 2000. Tracy Herbster served as branch manager until July 2001. Patricia Gardiner was hired as branch manager in September 2001 and served in this capacity until September 2005. Jane Deacle served as branch manager until November 2006. The current manager is Linda R. Mazzola (
Linda.Wilkes@wakegov.com).
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West Regional Library is one of six regional libraries in the Wake County public library system. The library is the result of the 2003 bond referendum expansion of the Wake County Public Libraries. Opened in September 2006 as part of Cary's Carpenter Village development, West Regional Library provides much-needed services to the rapidly expanding western half of Wake County, which includes the Cary, Morrisville and Apex communities.
West Regional Library is a neighborhood-friendly place. The library is situated with a view to a community lake and with easy access to nearby walking and biking trails. The 30,000-square-foot facility features a unique U-shaped design, with Youth Services in one wing and Adult Services in the other. Library visitors enter via a courtyard into the central "marketplace," with the newest books, comfortable seating and easy access to a wide variety of information services.
Staff are available to assist you at multiple service desks throughout the library. Both the Youth and Adult sections of the library feature numerous computers for accessing the library's catalog, reference resources, and the Internet. Library customers may also bring in their laptops to take advantage of the free WiFi. Other library features include self-checkouts, two group study rooms, a conference room, a multipurpose room for storytimes and special events, a space just for teens, and a drive-up book drop.
The current Regional Supervisor is Terri Luke (tluke@wakegov.com).
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The Zebulon Library, which opened with 800 volumes in the Zebulon Woman's' Club building in 1952, was funded by donations and a grant from the "Finer Carolina" contest, sponsored by CP&L. It was staffed and managed by volunteers from the American Legion Auxiliary. The library closed temporarily in 1958, but reopened the following year as part of a National Library Week celebration. On September 1, 1959, the community welcomed its first librarian, Mrs. Gilford Bufkin. She worked two days per week for an annual salary of $480. The hiring of a librarian made it possible for the Wake County Bookmobile to begin a relationship with the Zebulon Library. Mrs. Melvin Lanier, and later Mrs. Raymond Pippin, served as librarians in the 1960s, when the community raised the funds to purchase the old post office building to replace the Women's Club building, which was no longer adequate for the town's needs. The new library, almost 2,000 square feet, opened in March 1967, with new furnishings and books. On September 1, 1967, Mrs. Edythe Tippet was hired as librarian. At this time, the library was open 15 hours per week and had a collection of about 4,000 volumes. About half of those were borrowed on a rotating basis from the Olivia Raney Library in Raleigh. In 1970, Zebulon Library joined the Wake County Library system. Under the agreement, the town was responsible for the salaries and the building and its maintenance. The County provided operating staff, supervision and all library supplies and materials. A major renovation of the building and furnishings was completed in 1983. In 1986, Jean Ells was hired as librarian after the retirement of Mrs. Tippett. The Zebulon Library switched to an automated circulation system and library catalog in 1990 and was renovated again in 1991. The countywide bond referendum passed in 1993 allowed for a new library to be built for the Zebulon community. Ground was broken in November 1997, and the 5,000-square-foot building, with more than 30,000 volumes, opened in September 1998. The facility, on Dogwood Drive, adjoins the elementary school and the Wake County Eastern Regional Center.
Currently managed by Suzanna O'Donnell (Suzanna.O'Donnell@wakegov.com), the library offers a collection of just more than 32,000 volumes and 12 public Internet stations.
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