Lawrence County Public Library

History :

Prior to 1954 Library facilities were non­existent, consisting solely of “pack horse” distribution of a few books as a WPA project during the thirties. The first step toward public library facilities was taken on September 3, 1954, when the Lawrence County Fiscal Court accepted the gift of a small bookmobile from Boyd County, given through the State Department of Libraries at Frankfort. The Fiscal Court adapted the gift or a resolution to establish a library in Lawrence County, and steps were taken to organize the library on a functional basis. The job of directing such an organization was delegated to a Library Board, originally mapped by Dr. F.S. Shely, Mr. W.T. Moore, Mrs. T.W. Greer, Mrs. Hugh Kings-more, and Mr. William A. Cheek.

The primary problems of the fledgling organi­zation were those of logistics and finance; books were needed, as was a place to store them, in addition to the finances with which to hire personnel and cover operating expenses. All support at this time was entirely voluntary, but with contributions from the Fiscal Court, Board of Education, Rotary Club, the City of Louisa, and some State aid the program was launched. November of 1954 saw the first circuits by the little green bookmobile, piloted by Mrs. Howard H. Moore, the organization’s first employee. Despite the recurring monetary shortages, and the fact that books were stored only in cardboard boxes on the floor of the American Legion Hall, all rural schools and much of the rural Lawrence County were supplied with the beneficial influences of books. That first year, the bookmobile covered almost 8,000 miles on a schedule of two days per week. Circulation was officially 8,544, but the scarcity of literature in the rural areas and the enthusiasm with which the books were received suggests that each book was passed from hand-to-hand several times for each check out period. An estimate has set the actual circulation as 19,000, and seems reason­able under these circumstances.

Library Hours:

Monday: 9:00 – 5:00

Tuesday: 9:00 – 6:00

Wednesday: 9:00 – 5:00

Thursday: 9:00 – 7:00

Friday: 9:00 – 5:00

Saturday: 9:00 – 1:00

Sunday: Closed