The DeKalb County Public Library (DCPL) is the

public library A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil service, civil servants. There are ...

system of DeKalb County, Georgia in the

Atlanta metropolitan area Metro Atlanta, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as the Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Alpharetta, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area, is the most populous metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Georgia and the ...

. The library system headquarters are at the Darro C. Willey Administrative Offices in Decatur. Its collection includes over 850,000 books and over 19,000 downloadable e-books; collections of over 400

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

s, academic and

scientific journal In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research. Content Articles in scientific journals are mostly written by active scientists such as s ...

s, and newspapers; and audiovisual materials including videotapes, audiobooks, CDs, and DVDs. Library patrons can also access a variety of databases and online references through the

GALILEO Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei (15 February 1564 – 8 January 1642) was an Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer, sometimes described as a polymath. Commonly referred to as Galileo, his name was pronounced (, ). He was ...

(GeorgiA LIbrary LEarning Online) system. The library currently operates 22 branches located throughout the county, with construction of two additional branches planned. DeKalb County Public Library offers literacy services, such as Adult Basic Education (ABE) which helps adults learn basic skills in math, reading, and language development. English as a second language (ESL) classes are held at the branches and provide advanced instruction in the speaking, reading, writing, grammar, and syntax of English for speakers of other languages. The library offers online resources and learning tools including access to databases such as learningexpress. The library has test preparations resources for exams such as GED, ASVAB and many others. Literacy outreach programs include Project Horizons, Project Reap and Health Literacy. As of 2018, the library served a population of over 745,000, of whom almost 196,000 had library cards. As of fiscal year 2019 the library system a staff of 239 employees, and a budget of over $19.5 million.

List of branches

History

The first public library in the county was opened in 1907, in Lithonia. In 1925 a larger public library was founded in Decatur, the county seat of DeKalb County. In 1952 branches of the Decatur Library were established in Brookhaven and Doraville, and the Decatur Library was renamed the Decatur-DeKalb Library. The previously independent public library in Lithonia also joined the Decatur-DeKalb system, although the Lithonia library maintained a separate library board until 1971. As the DeKalb Regional Library System, the library provided services for neighboring

Rockdale County Rockdale County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 93,570 up from 85,215 in 2010. The county seat is Conyers. Rockdale County is included in the ''Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Me ...

from 1951 to 1989, and also for

Newton County Newton County is the name of six counties in the United States. All except for Arkansas (and perhaps Mississippi) are named for Sgt. John Newton, a soldier of the American Revolutionary War who became a fictionalized hero. Many counties share a bo ...

from 1953 to 1989; in 1989 the regional library system was disbanded and each of the three counties established its own separate library system.Newton County Public Library homepage: A Short History of the Library
Retrieved March 31, 2019

Library systems in neighboring counties

Atlanta–Fulton Public Library System The Atlanta–Fulton Public Library System is a network of public libraries serving the City of Atlanta and Fulton County, both in the U.S. state of Georgia. The system is administered by Fulton County. The system is composed of the Atlanta Centr ...

to the west * Clayton County Library System to the south west *

Gwinnett County Public Library The Gwinnett County Public Library is located in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States, northeast of Atlanta. The library currently has 15 branches throughout the county and employs an interlibrary loan system for those with a vali ...

to the east *

Conyers-Rockdale Library System The Conyers-Rockdale Library System (CRLS) is a public library located in Rockdale County, Georgia. It is home to one branch on Green Street, Conyers, Georgia, the Nancy Guinn Memorial Library. Conyers-Rockdale Library System is a member of PINES ...

to the south east *

Henry County Library System The Henry County Library System (HCLS) is a public library system consisting of five branches in Henry County, Georgia. The five branches are located in the towns of Stockbridge, Hampton, Locust Grove, and McDonough. HCLS is a member of PINE ...

to the south

External links

DeKalb County Public Library

References

{{authority control Education in DeKalb County, Georgia Public libraries in Georgia (U.S. state) County library systems in Georgia (U.S. state)