Licking County Library

LibrariesOhio, United States51-200 Employees

In 1908, the Newark City Council voted to create a free public library for community use. In early 1920, the library moved to 105 W. Church St. in Newark. The building quickly ran out of space but construction of a new building at 88 W. Church St. was delayed until 1950. Like the previous buildings, the space was soon outgrown and construction of a new building began after passing a bond levy in 1997. The Main Library at 101 W. Main St. opened its doors in 2000. The Hebron Library was founded by volunteers from the local Mutual and Civic Improvement Club in 1936. The first bookmobile service began in 1938 and served rural parts of the county. Also in 1938, the Hervey family of Utica set up a trust and willed their residence to become the future home of Hervey Memorial Library. Hervey Memorial Library officially opened its doors in 1953. In 1959, the Johnstown Library opened in the Monroe Township House which also housed the Opera House. Thanks to a generous donation from Mary E. Babcock, plans were made to build a new library for the community. In 2006, the Johnstown Library moved to its new location on N. Main St. was renamed the Mary E. Babcock Library to honor Babcock and the Mary E. Babcock Foundation. ​Emerson R. Miller Library in west Newark opened in 1972. The bookmobile service was housed there until it moved to the Main Library in 2000. In late 2012, the library closed for extensive renovation work. It reopened in March 2013 to the delight of the community and library system. The most recent branch, Buckeye Lake Library, opened in 2005. The space was quickly outgrown and, with the help of the Friends of Buckeye Lake Library, the library moved to a brand new location in 2011. On its 100th anniversary, the Newark Public Library System officially changed its name to Licking County Library. The change was made in order to demonstrate how the library's service extends beyond the Newark city limits throughout Licking County.

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