Smyrna Public Library in Smyrna, Georgia, traces its roots to 1936, when the Smyrna Women’s Club opened the city’s first library in shared space with just 50 books on a single shelf. Boy Scouts and other local children helped grow the collection by going door-to-door with wheelbarrows to collect donated books. Within two years, the library had grown to 1,400 items, an early sign of the role it would come to play in community life.
Today, the library is recognized as the oldest city-operated library in Georgia and remains an important civic institution in the heart of Smyrna. In addition to its lending collection, it regularly hosts art exhibits and speakers on topics of local and regional interest, giving visitors and residents another way to engage with the community.
The library’s history also reflects Smyrna’s growth over time. A 4,000-square-foot building on King Street opened during Mayor George Kreeger’s first term, with additions following in 1969 and 1973. When the current library opened on the Village Green in August 1991, the earlier building took on new roles before it was eventually demolished in 2002.