GENERAL INFO
Roswell Library
Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System
115 Norcross Street
Roswell, GA 30075
(770) 640-3075
HOURS OF OPERATION
Monday - 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday - 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday - 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Thursday - 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Friday - 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Saturday - 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sunday - 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Please know that you may access your library accounts and library databases, including ebooks, 24/7 at www.afpls.org.
ABOUT THE LIBRARY
The Roswell Library began in 1946 when deposits of library books
were brought from the Carnegie Atlanta Public Library in downtown Atlanta
once a week. At that time the books were kept in a small room at what was
then Roswell Elementary School on Mimosa Boulevard (currently home of Independence
High School and the Teaching Museum North).
Until a permanent home was found in 1965, the library moved twice more: to a room in the old Roswell City Hall
and in 1955, into one of the "apartments in the bricks" on Sloan Street. Even though the collection remained a
"deposit" collection (meaning it continued to borrow books from the main Atlanta branch), patronage grew as
the community grew.
In 1965 longtime Roswell resident Mrs. Arthur William Smith renovated a
100 year old grain warehouse on Atlanta Street (Alpharetta Highway) and
donated it to Fulton County for use as the Arthur William Smith Memorial
Library. At that time it became a full-fledged library branch with its
own budget and its own collection of books.
As the city of Roswell began to grow, the library building
began to deteriorate. A new building was desperately needed. In 1981
the library moved into the Roswell Mall where it was located for eight years.
During its stay in the Roswell Mall, the city of Roswell began an
explosion of growth that continues to this day. New residents from
every state and every corner of the globe were moving in, and an even
larger building and collection were needed to serve the needs of the community.
In October, 1985, Fulton County residents approved a bond referendum
for the construction of fourteen new libraries, including one for the city
of Roswell. On land partially donated by the City of Roswell, a new
library was constructed at the corner of Forrest Street and Norcross Street.
Open on July 17, 1989, the Roswell Library occupies a 20,000 square
foot building and currently holds a collection of just over 125,000 volumes.
The Roswell Library is currently the busiest library in the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System.