Screven County Library

The Screven County Library was organized in June, 1936, through the WPA. Its original headquarters was in the county courthouse.

As the services and the number of books increased, the library felt growing pains. The headquarters was first moved to the Hill Building and later upstairs over the Health Department. By 1950, it had become evident that another move must be made and the Sylvania Masonic Lodge offered the lower floor of its building on West Telephone Street. Civic organizations built shelves, painted and in other ways helped to decorate the library .

The Screven-Jenkins Regional Library was organized in November 1951, at a series of meetings in which interested citizens of Screven and Jenkins counties worked out details and drew up a contract. It was decided that the regional headquarters would be the Screven County Library. A regional library board was formed consisting of the county school superintendents of the two counties, the chairmen of the library boards, and one member elected annually and alternating between the counties.

Under the regional library agreement, a public library is operated in both counties. Library service is provided for the rural sections of the county and the schools with the bookmobile.

Early in 1952, Miss Looney was visiting in the home of Mr. and Mrs. George Lorimer. During the conversation about the library, Mr. Lorimer expressed a desire to make a donation to the library. This was the beginning of the possibility of a new library building. However, Mr. Lorimer's sudden death came before the donation was made. In the spring of 1953, Mrs. Lorimer made a generous gift of $8000. to be applied to the construction of a new library building for Screven County. The only requirement was that it be matched with an equal amount within six months. The amount was matched by the Board of Commissioners and the remaining amount need to build the new library was raised through a bond issue passed in August 1955.

With the funds available through the LSCA special allotments, new equipment was bought. Filmstrips, records, filmstrip projectors, screens, a record player, tape cassettes, tape players, a copy machine, etc. were made available to the public. Other equipment such as table and chairs, shelving, etc, were added.

In 1989 the Screven County Library moved into its current building at 106 South Community Drive. The library has increased in size and circulation. It has over twenty public computers and most have Internet access.