Cobb County Public Library System
The Cobb County Public Library System (CCPLS) is the system of 17 public libraries in Cobb County, Georgia, USA — excluding its second-largest city of Smyrna, which runs its own Smyrna Public Library. CobbCat is the online computer database of all CCPLS holdings, replacing the card catalogs.
The CCPLS has a system by which books from any branch can be reserved and picked up at any other branch, usually within three business days. Each business day, each branch is notified of the books requested from it, and the staff selects these books for transport. A county van picks up the books daily and takes them to Central, where they are sorted and sent out on the following morning's run. Likewise, books can be returned to any county library branch. Interlibrary loans from outside the county are possible for items not held by the CCPLS.
Libraries
The system's four regions are defined by the CCPLS. Where indicated, the numbers are the branch numbers. The bookmobile collection was "branch" 60; the law library, located in the county courthouse (Cobb State Court) on Marietta square, was branch 70, but has since been split from the CCPLS.
Central
- Central (1), Marietta, current building opened in 1989 or 1990 33°57′00″N 84°32′38″W / 33.950°N 84.544°W Open: Monday - Wednesday 10a.m.-8 p.m., Thursday - Saturday 11 a.m.- 6 p.m.
- Hattie G. Wilson (formerly Fort Hill, 20) Open: Monday - Wednesday 10 a.m.- 6p.m., Thursday 11 a.m.- 6 p.m.
- Sibley, on South Cobb Drive (Georgia 280) just west of Atlanta Road, south of Marietta Open: Monday - Wednesday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Thursday 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Stratton, built 1974, on Powder Springs Road (Georgia 360) southwest of Marietta, nearly identical to Gritters building Open: Monday - Wednesday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Thursday - Friday 11-6 p.m., Saturday 1 p.m.- 6 p.m.
Marietta Place (35), former city of Marietta library
Northeast
- Mountain View Regional, Open: Monday - Wednesday 10a.m.-8 p.m., Thursday - Saturday 11 a.m.- 6 p.m.
Merchant's Walk, built 1979, temporary regional headquarters per above- East Cobb, replaced Merchant's Walk in February 2010 Open: Monday - Wednesday 10a.m.-8 p.m., Thursday - Saturday 11 a.m.- 6 p.m.
- Gritters (25), next to Shaw Park, founded 1964 at nearby CCFD fire station Open: Monday - Wednesday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Thursday - Friday 11-6 p.m., Saturday 1 p.m.- 6 p.m.
- East Marietta (10) Open: Monday - Wednesday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Thursday - Friday 11-6 p.m., Saturday 1 p.m.- 6 p.m.
Northwest
- West Cobb Regional (opened 2002) Open: Monday - Wednesday 10a.m.-8 p.m., Thursday - Saturday 11 a.m.- 6 p.m.
- Kennesaw (30) Open: Monday - Wednesday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Thursday - Friday 11-6 p.m., Saturday 1 p.m.- 6 p.m.
- Acworth (6), joined in 1963 Open: Monday - Wednesday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Thursday 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Kemp Memorial Open: Monday - Wednesday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Thursday - Friday 11-6 p.m., Saturday 1 p.m.- 6 p.m.
South
- South Cobb Regional (replaced South Cobb, 50, built 1961, joined 1962)Open: Monday - Wednesday 10a.m.-8 p.m., Thursday - Saturday 11 a.m.- 6 p.m.
- Sweetwater Valley, Austell (55), joined 1965 Open: Monday - Wednesday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Thursday 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Powder Springs (45) Open: Monday - Wednesday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Thursday - Friday 11-6 p.m., Saturday 1 p.m.- 6 p.m.
- Lewis A. Ray, near Smyrna (40); built 1967, replaced Oakdale branch founded 1962 Open: Monday - Wednesday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Thursday 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Vinings, just off Pace's Mill Road east of downtown Open: Monday - Wednesday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Thursday - Friday 11-6 p.m., Saturday 1 p.m.- 6 p.m.
Merchant's Walk branch
In March 2009, the Cobb County Commission approved the sale of the Merchant's Walk branch, located at the Merchant's Walk "power center" shopping center in east Cobb since 1976. The site will become part of the shopping center, which is being renovated around existing tenants (mainly anchor stores Kohl's, OfficeMax, PetSmart, Old Navy, and Stein Mart). The demolition of the library (and the adjacent building with the vacant Media Play was) took place in the spring of 2010, and will make way for two restaurants, plus a new Whole Foods located on the opposite side of the main building.
The original plan was for the library to lease around 10,000 square feet (930 m2) of already-vacant space there free for two years starting in late 2009 or early 2010, while a new library was built at a yet-to-be-determined site nearby, using the proceeds from the sale. This is approximately the same amount of space occupied now by the library, which has operated at capacity for years. It is the third-busiest branch, circulating 543,108 materials in 2008, compared to around 620,000 at Central, and an unknown number at Mountain View. The new library was expected to be about 50% larger. [1] [2]
Plans changed when it became obvious that construction would cause major parking problems. The library system signed a long-term lease for over 16,850 square feet (1,565 m2) at the Parkaire Landing strip mall, located on the former site of Parkaire Field, the first general aviation airfield in the county. This is located about 2 miles (3 km) south on Johnson Ferry Road, on the southeast corner of Lower Roswell Road, along with a Kroger undergoing remodeling. Library renovations were completed in January 2010, and the Merchant's Walk branch closed permanently on Friday the 22nd. The library was closed completely for a week for relocation, and was then reopened and renamed as the East Cobb branch on February 1.
Library systems in neighboring counties
- Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System to the east and southeast in Fulton/DeKalb
- Sequoyah Regional Library System to the north in Cherokee/Pickens/Gilmer
- Bartow County Library System to the northwest in Bartow
- West Georgia Regional Library System to the west and southwest in Paulding/Douglas/Heard/Carroll/Haralson