Gallatin County Public Library

ABOUT GALLATIN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY

A photograph of Charles G. Warnick, standing behind a sign that says "Gallatin County Library." Photograph taken by Kelly Warnick.

The first Gallatin County Public Library Trustees, appointed in 1976, sought state assistance to develop a county library. In 1978 the first library opened in a remodeled laundromat on West Pearl Street.

In 1981 Gallatin county passed a library tax, and in 1984 the initial 5,000 square-foot West Market Street facility became a reality when a construction grant was awarded. Modeled after Thomas Jefferson's home in Virginia, Monticello, the library has become a county landmark.

In 2000 the library added an 1,800 square foot Children's Wing, and in 2012 it received a 2,715 square foot wing for additional meeting and staff space.

The library offers films, fiction, and nonfiction, as well as a Young Adult section, a Children's section, Meeting and Study Rooms, and a Reading Room filled with magazines and newspapers. Gallatin County Public Library belongs to the Hoopla Digital consortium which enables card holders to check out eBooks, movies, music and other materials online wherever there is internet access. Ask staff for details!

Our Staff

Shawn Fry

Alice Johnson

Amy Dickerson

Emily Arnold

Jessica Gay

Sean Hull

Director

Cataloging & Acquisitions

Children's Librarian

Teen Librarian

Outreach Coordinator

Technology Coordinator

Our Board of Trustees

Joanie Rogers

J.R. Shinkle

Amanda O'Connor

Janie Stout-Price

Andrea Zubaty

President

Vice-President

Treasurer

Secretary

Board Member

Main Wing

Most of our fiction, nonfiction, and DVD items can be found here. This wing also contains public computers reserved for users 18 and older. If you need to print or copy something, we charge 10￠ per page for black and white copies and 50￠ per page for colored copies. You can also visit the front desk to ask for help or to have a fax sent; our faxes cost $1 per 15 pages.

Children's Wing

Our children's room has plenty of books, DVDs, and games. We have tables available for kids that need to do their homework or just want a spot to sit. There are 8 public computers reserved for child use, and 2 early learning stations.

Literacy Bell

The Literacy Bell and its clear, distinct sound is a symbol for something very special; that magical moment when a child can make the letters on a page become a word, then a sentence, and finally a story. When that bell chimes, all in town will know that a child has read his or her first book!

Kentucky Room

This room is dedicated to Charles G. Warnick, founder of the Gallatin County Public Library. Books on Kentucky can be found here, as well as information about previous Gallatin County residents. This room is also home to our collection of birth, death, marriage, and cemetery records.

Reading Room

Our reading room is for anyone who wants a quiet place to relax and read our newspapers or magazines. Magazines with green circulating stickers can be checked out, but new magazines must stay in the building. All of our newspaper copies must stay in the building as well, so that our visitors can read them at any given time.

Teen Area

Our teen area is for children between the ages of 12 and 17. There are 7 public computers for personal or school use. We have a table for board games, and a table for teens to do their homework. Young adult books, comics, magazines, video games, and a small selection of audio books can also be found here.

Mural

On May 17th in 2012, Tammy Baston Stephens painted the mural of Gallatin County in the hallway that connects the children's section to the main wing of the library. We think it's incredibly neat and hope that when you visit you will take the time to look at it as well!

Meeting Rooms

We have two meeting rooms and a study room. Our two meeting rooms are used for programs and presenters. Our study room is used by groups smaller than 5. If a person or business wants to use these rooms, a request must first be made to the library director to avoid overbooking.