Gwinnett County Public Library#Bramches

Image:Norcross Women's Club.jpg

The first library in the Gwinnett County region was the Norcross library, established in 1907 by the Norcross Woman's Club. Following this, in 1935, the Lawrenceville PTA began the Lawrenceville Public Library in City Hall, which was renamed to the Gwinnett County Library the following year.{{cite web|title=GCPL - Our History|url=http://www.gwinnettpl.org/our-history/|accessdate=6 March 2017}}

In 1956, in an effort to consolidate resources with nearby Forsyth County, the two library systems agreed to form a joint venture named the Gwinnett-Forsyth Regional Library.{{cite web|title=History of the Forsyth County Public Library|url=http://www.forsythpl.org/aboutFCPL/history.aspx|accessdate=6 March 2017}} During this time Gwinnett County opened the Lake Lanier Regional Library in Buford, and libraries in Snellville and Mountain Park.

From 1958 to 1967, the board of the Gwinnett County Library oversaw the Mack Haygood Library, a segregated branch for Black residents.

As the Atlanta metropolitan region began to fill out, Gwinnett and the surrounding counties saw a huge influx of residents, and therefore a much greater need to expand their library services. In 1986 a bond referendum allowed for each of the seven existing branches to be updated, and also allocated funds for the construction of an eighth branch at Peachtree Corners. Following suit not long after, Forsyth County received monies to refurbish their libraries and add a location of their own.

With the increasing amount of branches in the Gwinnett-Forsyth Regional Library System, Gwinnett County opted to dissolve the venture in 1996. It is at this point the Gwinnett County Public Library was formed.

In 1999, the GCPL's tenth branch opened at Collins Hill. It was also named a finalist for the Library of the Year award. In 2000 the library system was again among finalists for library of the year, and at this point won.

In 2002 the Centerville branch opened, sharing facilities with the adjacent Gwinnett County community center. A twelfth branch opened in Suwanne in 2004, and another in Dacula in 2006.

In 2005 the Grayson branch was opened, and in 2010 the Hamilton Mill branch opened as a LEED Gold certified building.{{cite web|title=Hamilton Mill Library receives LEED Gold Certification|url=https://www.gwinnettcounty.com/portal/gwinnett/Home/NLNView/HamiltonMillLibraryLEED|accessdate=7 March 2017}}

In 1997, Gwinnett County Public Library removed Nancy Friday's bestseller Women On Top from its collection after two patrons complained about its sexual content.{{cite news|title=Gwinnett libraries ban 'Women On Top'|newspaper=Atlanta Constitution|date=19 March 1997|author=Sibley, Celia|author2=Burkstrand, Beth|page=B2}} Connie Cosby, one of the patrons, had requested that the book be made unavailable to children, and was "stunned" but "ecstatic" that library director Jo Ann Pinder removed it entirely.{{cite news|title=Banning of book surprises petitioner|newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|date=19 March 1997|author=Sibley, Celia|author2=Burkstrand, Beth|page=J1}} Women On Top became the fourth book Gwinnett County Public Library had removed from its shelves because of complaints about content.{{cite news|last=Sibley|first=Celia|title=Checking out the library - Staffers: They're doing everything by the book|newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|date=23 March 1997|page=J1}}

The library's decision prompted many residents to write letters opposing and supporting the library's decision; one such letter from Sheila Blahnik, the other patron who had asked the library to remove Women On Top, called the reaction an "onslaught of media attention".{{cite news|last=Blahnik|first=Sheila|title=Library restrictions vs. parental restrictions|newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|date=30 March 1997|page=J9}} Area booksellers reported increased sales of the book soon after the library removed it; a Waldenbooks manager said, "In two months the bookstore sold one copy, and all of a sudden last week we sold eight."{{cite news|last=Sibley|first=Celia|title=Dropped book's sales pick up - Library's action stirs interest in author|newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|date=1 April 1997|page=J1}} One county resident called for Pinder and another librarian to be fired for describing the reasons for the book's removal as "editing errors and changes in library purchasing guidelines" rather than stating that it was censored because of its sexual content; other residents began shouting questions which the board did not answer, and the police were summoned.{{cite news|last=Burkstrand|first=Beth|title=Anger erupts at library meeting - Residents blast board members|newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|date=15 April 1997|page=J3}}

As a result of the controversy, Gwinnett County Public Library created a "parental advisory" category for books deemed suitable only for adults, allowing parents to give consent for their minor children to check those items out.{{cite news|last=Carter|first=Rochelle|title=Library board opts to create adult shelf|newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|date=15 August 1997|page=J1}} The library also created an advisory board to review the process for handling residents' complaints about library materials, and on the advice of county lawyers the library later opened those meetings to the public.{{cite news|last=Shelton|first=Stacy|title=Meetings of library's complaint panel to be open - Decision reflects county legal advice|date=22 October 1997|page=J5}} Ultimately, the library made it easier to request removing books from the library, on the advice of the advisory board, because the old form had been "too complicated".{{cite news|last=Shelton|first=Stacy|title=Libraries to debut new complaint forms|newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|date=24 November 1997|page=J1}}

The current Materials Management Policy (last updated 2016) has eliminated restricted item sections or categories, and instead encourages customers to make their own decisions on which materials to check out. In line with current American Library Association guidelines on censorship, the Gwinnett County Public Library's current policy states that one customer "may not restrict access to these materials by others". A materials reconsideration request form is available for customers who which to challenge materials held by the library.{{cite web |url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gnTimQaLL1QI0L4JZyrXsJllA_peEHsxd0T00d9mcBQ |title=Materials Management Policy |author=Gwinnett County Public Library |date=1 Apr 2016 |orig-date= 10 Nov 2003 |access-date=12 Dec 2022 }}

• Forsyth County Public Library to the north
• Hall County Library System to the northeast
• Azalea Regional Library System to the east
• Conyers-Rockdale Library System to the south
• DeKalb County Public Library to the southwest
• Fulton County Library System to the west

{{reflist}}

• {{official website|https://www.gwinnettpl.org/}}

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Category:Public libraries in Georgia (U.S. state)

Category:Education in Gwinnett County, Georgia

Category:Buildings and structures in Gwinnett County, Georgia

Category:County library systems in Georgia (U.S. state)