Blackwater Regional Library
Blackwater Regional Library system serves the counties of Isle of Wight, Southampton, Surry, Sussex, and the city of Franklin in Virginia.The library system is within Region 3 of Virginia Library Association (VLA). According to FY 2015 Statistical Data for Virginia Public Libraries, the Blackwater Regional Library serves a population of 82,763 (2015 Virginia Public Library Stats).
History
The Blackwater Regional Library's nine branches stemmed from one library- The Walter Cecil Rawls Library and Museum. Walter Cecil Rawls and his friend Junious W. Pulley were a citizen of Southampton County. Rawls and Pulley worked together to come up with the plan to establish the library in Southampton.[1] The Walter Cecil Rawls Library and Museum opened for public use on June 13, 1958.
Rawls had the idea to provide a bookmobile service to the community. The service began in 1959 on the second week in April, National Library Week. The bookmobile routes eventually led to the opening of the branches in the other counties.
Service Area
According to the FY 2014 Institute of Museum and Library Services Data Catalog, the Blackwater Regional Library System has a service area population of 81,876 with 1 central library and 8 branch libraries.[2]
Branches
- Carrollton Branch (Carrollton) established 1984.
- Claremont Branch (Claremont) esablished 1980.
- Courtland Branch/ Walter Cecil Rawls Library (Courtland)
- Franklin Branch/ Ruth Camp Campbell Memorial Library (Franklin)- established 1926.
- Smithfield Branch (Smithfield)- established 1924.
- Surry Branch (Surry)- established 1984.
- Wakefield Branch/ Troxler Memorial Library (Wakefield)
- Waverly Branch/ Agnes Taylor Gray Library (Waverly)
- Windsor Branch (Windsor)- established 1995.
External links
References
- ↑ "BRL History". www.blackwaterlib.org. Retrieved 2016-10-18.
- ↑ "FY 2014 Public Libraries Survey". Institute of Museum and Library Services. Retrieved November 7, 2016.