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Sullivan Co. Branch Libraries
In 1946 a Citizens Library Movement, chaired by Mrs. Sam Eanes, was formed to start a library in Sullivan County. With a membership of 50 and a collection of 500 books, the Sullivan County Library opened on January 2, 1947 in one room of the Sullivan County Courthouse. The library relocated several times over the years: from one room of the Mutual Insurance Building to three rooms of the old Blountville Elementary School building on Franklin Drive then to Anderson Town House and to a storefront location on Route 37. In 1948 the main library had 50 book deposit stations throughout the county (Sullivan Gardens, Colonial Heights, Bluff City, and Bloomingdale). The library has had three directors: Mrs. Mattie Parris (1946-1971), Mrs. Roberta Slagle (1971-1980) and Mrs. Kay P. Hamrick. Margaret Elsea is the Branch Manager; the Assistant Branch Manager is June Feathers.
Today the
Sullivan County Library System consists of the central library in Blountville and four
branches located in different sections of the county. There are approximately
126,758 items in the system. The library not only provides books, videos, cassettes,
books on tape, CD ROMs, DVDs, it also provides free Internet access to on-line services,
and CD databases for its patrons. The library is located at 1665 Blountville
Boulevard, Blountville.
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The Colonial Heights Branch Library was the first branch of the Sullivan County Library System and was organized in 1961. Originally housed in a garage of Reverend Pitzer Lyons, the library was transferred to his office at the Colonial Heights Presbyterian Church. Later the library resided in one room of the Colonial Heights Presbyterian Church. Volunteers of the community ran the library until 1962. In 1976 it was moved into the Colonial Heights OMNI Center, which had originally been the church's parsonage. The Colonial Heights Friends of the Library raised money to furnish the new building. In 1995 the library was moved to a new facility at the former Pactolus Community Center near Sullivan South High School.
The first
Librarian at Colonial Heights was Mrs. Roma Hill who worked from 1962 to 1972. Other
librarians at Colonial Heights have been Jean Hagan (1972-1983), Kay P. Hamrick
(1983-1986), Jan Miles (1986-1989), and Peggy Sutherland (1989-1991). The current
Branch Manager is Ms. Jo McDavid; the Assistant Branch Manager is Betty Hill.
The library's location is 149 Pactolus Road, Kingsport. |
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The second Branch added to the system was Bloomingdale Branch which was started by the Bloomingdale Ruritan Club in 1962. It was originally housed in the Bloomingdale Baptist Church and was financed and supplied by a volunteer staff from the Ruritans. The Ruritans purchased a lot on Van Horn Street in 1962 and began construction of the new building in the summer of 1965 with members of the Ruritan doing most of the construction. The library was moved into the new building in 1967. Librarians at Bloomingdale have been Mrs. Kenneth Wade, Omeda Holt (-1987), Janice Tipton (1987-2004), and Amy Lippo was manager from (2005-2007). Angela Taylor is the current Branch Manger; the Assistant Branch Manager is Karen Matney. The library is located at 3230 Van Horn Street, Kingsport. |
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In 1949 Thomas Memorial became the third library added to the system. A collection of books provided by the Watauga Regional Library were located in the Smith Drug Store which was considered the first "community Library" in Bluff City. Mrs. Mabel Smith, owner of the drug store, helped maintain the collection until her death. Through the assistance of the Avoca Home Demonstration Club, a Sullivan County Branch Library was opened in Avoca in 1964. When Avoca was annexed into the city of Bristol in 1973, the library was moved to Bluff City. It was housed in a former parsonage provided by the First Christian Church of Bluff City, until 1989 at which time the Bluff City Friends of the Library raised the money to renovate the former post building on Main Street. The library was located on Main Street until it was relocated to its current site. In 1992 the Thomas Memorial Presbyterian Church was disbanded, and the building was offered to the county for use as a library.
The
church was renovated by the county, and the Bluff City Library was renamed Thomas Memorial
Branch Library. Mrs. Florence Huffine was the librarian until 1976.
Mary Nell Stewart was also a librarian. The present Branch Manager is Kathryn
Nichols. |
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The fourth branch added to the system was Sullivan Gardens Branch. The first "library service" available to the Sullivan Gardens area was a Watauga Regional book deposit station. The book deposit station at the Sullivan School, under Mrs. Jo Selby, was one of the first original 14 stations set up in Sullivan County. In 1975 the Sullivan Gardens Optimist Club entered into an agreement with Sullivan County to establish a branch library in a building provided by the widow of Walter F. Moody, a former State Senator, sessions court judge and educator. The building was located on Wilcox Drive across from the former Sullivan West High School. The library was named Sullivan Gardens Moody Memorial Branch in honor of Mr. Moody. Optimists and the Sullivan County Library Board renovated, furnish, and equipped the library. The club members provided all the labor with the help of a Boy Scout troop. When the building housing the library was sold in 1981, the Friends of the Sullivan Gardens Library formed to provide a new building for the library. The Sullivan County Library Board granted permission for relocation of the building on the grounds of the Sullivan Gardens Middle School. The Friends of the Library successfully raised the funds for the new building, and the library was re-opened August of 1981 with a new name, Sullivan Gardens Library. In 1997, an addition was made to the building. Judy Barrett was the librarian until her retirement in 1990. The current Branch Manager is Peggy Sutherland: the Assistant Branch Manager is Nancy Shelton. |
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