History of the Library
The Lexington County Public Library System celebrated its 100-year anniversary of service to the citizens of Lexington County in 2012. During this century of service, much has changed in the world, the nation, the state, and the county. The library, being an essential part of the community, has changed and developed along with the flow of these global and local events. Lexington County, once almost an exclusively rural area, has transitioned through the 20th century into a vital suburban area in the midlands of South Carolina and the library has played a supporting role for the people of Lexington County. In 1912 the library system was started by the Batesburg Woman’s Club with a mere 325 books, and today there are 10 libraries, a mobile library, scores of online databases, virtually unlimited resources of downloadable materials, many meeting spaces, a circulation of over two million items annually, and thousands of programs offered for children and adults each year. Here are some of the watershed moments in the historical development of our library system.