Fairfield County District Library

Library service was first established in Lancaster (Fairfield County) on April 27, 1833 when individuals purchased stock to invest in library service. William Medill (later Ohio governor) was secretary of the library.

On June 4, 1878, a free library was established in Lancaster. The Board of County Commissioners leased the old county building to the Board of Trustees of the Lancaster Association. On June 25, Miss Lavina Busby was appointed librarian.

In May 1898, the Lancaster Public Library moved to City Hall. The first branch expansion occurred in 1940 when the West Side Branch Library opened in a room on Washington Avenue which was provided by the West Side Civic Organization.

Realizing the need to expand library service both in the city and in outlying areas, Bookmobile service began on April 1, 1949.

Expansion plans continued and on May 17, 1960, the Lancaster Public Library became Fairfield County District Library (FCDL) which included a service area covering most of Fairfield County.

On November 15, 1970, the Bremen-Rushcreek Branch Library was dedicated at 132 Mulberry Street in Bremen.

On January 27, 1974, the Theodore D. and Emma G. Griley Memorial Branch Library was dedicated at 209 E. Market Street in Baltimore.

In March of 1974, the West Branch Library opened at a new location, 503 Lenwood Drive in Lancaster.

Late in 1977, groundbreaking and construction for the new Main Library began in downtown Lancaster. On January 27, 1980, the new Main Library building was dedicated at 219 N. Broad St. in Lancaster.

On October 18, 1987, the Stanton D. Johns Memorial Library was dedicated at 116 E. High St. in Amanda.

In March 1988, FCDL instituted its first automated system, Unisys. As technology needs grew, so did the idea for collaboration to support these growing needs. In 1989, FCDL became one of the original libraries in the formation of the Central Library Consortium (CLC). CLC was created by four member libraries (Fairfield County District Library, Grandview Heights Public Library, Pickerington Public Library, and Wagnalls Memorial Library) to establish, maintain and operate a computerized library network in order to promote resource sharing among member libraries and to increase access to information for their patrons.

On August 30, 1992, FCDL celebrated the dedication of new branch building in Baltimore located at 205 E. Market Street.

In February 1996, CLC contracted with Dynix for its online catalog and automated circulation system.

In February 1997, Internet access via Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) became available at FCDL.

In June 2000, FCDL celebrated the completion of a major renovation of the Main Library

On September 30, 2001 FCDL celebrated the grand opening of the Bremen Rushcreek Memorial Branch Library at 200 School Street in Bremen.

In 2003, Ohio public libraries suffered significant state budget cuts. These cuts resulted in staff and service reductions including closing the West Branch Library and discontinuing Bookmobile service for several years. The idle Bookmobile was parked in Millersport beginning in January 2004 to provide ten hours of library service to that community.

In March 2004, the Library tried unsuccessfully to pass a .5 mill library levy. In November 2004, the levy campaign was successful thus restoring many of the services which had been cut the previous year.

In May 2005 CLC migrated to HORIZON as its automated circulation and catalog system.

In September 2006, FCDL purchased a 25' Elf Wide Body bookmobile to restore mobile service to larger communities throughout the county.

On October 16, 2007, FCDL celebrated the dedication of the Northwest Branch facility at 3855 Helena Drive NW, in Carroll. The new facility opened with early morning public service hours and a self-service vending area. Both the Outreach and Technical Services are located at the Northwest Branch as well as full branch services to the public.

The Board of Trustees and the FCDL staff are committed to our mission to provide a center for lifelong choices of reading entertainment and informational materials with an emphasis on excellence in knowledge technologies, free and accessible resources, and customer service. Our partnership in the CLC enhances our mission and expands our possibilities.