By Craig Scott
The Gadsden Public Library officially opened its doors as a Carnegie Library on December 20, 1906, at the corner of Forrest Avenue and South 7th Street. Its first collection—456 books donated by the Thursday Study Club—became the foundation for what would grow into one of the community’s most enduring institutions.
The library’s first librarian, Lena Martin, was herself a charter member of the Thursday Study Club. Her leadership carried the library through some of the most challenging chapters in American history, including the Great Depression and both World Wars. Martin remained at the helm for an extraordinary 49 years, retiring in 1955.
From its earliest days, the library evolved to meet the needs of a changing community. In 1913, the installation of a telephone—though a small step by today’s standards—represented a leap forward in modernizing services. As the decades passed, new technologies and systems continued to make the library more accessible and more useful for Gadsden and Etowah County residents.
After Martin’s long tenure, the library saw leadership transitions. Richard Covey served as director from 1956 to 1960, followed by Cecil Beach from 1961 to 1965. These years also brought a turning point for the library’s physical home. By 1964, the front of the Carnegie library was collapsing, and the building had long since outgrown its usefulness.
The community had expanded, and so had its expectations. A new facility on South College Street offered more space, improved accessibility, and an environment better suited to serve Gadsden’s growing population. The move itself became a memorable community event: high school students helped transport books by pushing shopping “buggies” loaded with neatly organized volumes from the old Carnegie building to the new library just two blocks away—a parade of knowledge and teamwork.
From the Thursday Study Club’s original reading room above Mr. Moragne’s store on Broad Street to today’s spacious, well-equipped facility, the Gadsden Public Library has stood as a cornerstone of learning, connection, and community for nearly 120 years.
Next year, the library will celebrate its 120th anniversary—an occasion to honor the past while looking forward to the future. Come visit and see for yourself what the library has to offer!
Craig Scott is the library director of the Gadsden Public Library and a past president of the Alabama Library Association (ALLA). Visit Gadsden Public Library at 254 South College Street in downtown Gadsden next to the U.S. Post Office. or Gadsden Public Library Genealogy Branch at 2700 West Meighan Boulevard in Alabama City on the corner of Meighan and Wall Street. Call the College Street branch at 256-549-4699 or call the Genealogy branch 256-549-4688. For more information visit www.gadsdenlibrary.org.
