Gaston County Public Library History

          2 January 1980

• The Gaston County Public Library commemorated the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Gastonia and Gaston County Public Library.

          8 January 1980

• The Gaston County Commissioners authorized the Gaston County Public Library to hold the first book sale during the spring of 1980.

          13 April 1980

• The Gaston County Public Library began opening from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. With the new hours, library public services expanded from 69 to 73 hours a week. (GGZ 15 Feb 1980)

          13-19 April 1980

• During National Library Week, the Library held its first annual book sale, which raised $1881 to purchase library reference materials. (75^th Annual Report of Gaston Co. Public Library 1979-1980)

          28 May 1980

• The Garrison Center “walk-in” mini-branch library closes.  Trustees vote to close the center branch upon the recommendation of Director Pam Millard, who attributed the closing due to lack of use. (GGZ, 28 April 1980)

          June 1980

• Gaston County Public Library starts pilot program to provide paperback books to prisoners of the Gaston County jail through the library’s bookmobile service. (GGZ 18 Jun 1980, p. 4C)
• Pamela Millard resigned as Library Director. Linda Wright served as Acting Director.

          July 1980

• Gaston County Board of Commissioners agreed to help fund the Metrolina Sub-Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. (GGZ 25 Jul 1980)

          29 September 1980

• Philip W. Ritter became Director of the Gaston-Lincoln Regional Library.

          1980-1981

• A ten-year building program was approved to renovate and expand six existing branch facilities and build a new facility for Lowell.

          1981

• The Gaston County Main Public Library Business Reference collection was expanded with the addition of Valueline.

          June 1981

• Gaston-Lincoln Regional Public Library began using the Mini Marc Automated Cataloging System for automatic book processing. (GGZ 23 Aug 1981, p. 9D)

            April 1983

• Gaston County Public Library began a camera-loaning service with six Polaroid Sun 660 cameras. (GGZ 20 May 1983, p. D2)

          July 1984

• The program to renovate and expand six branch libraries began in July when work started on the Stanley Branch Library. (80^th Annual Report of the Gaston County Public Library 1984-1985)

          18 November 1984

• The newly renovated and expanded Stanley Branch Library was dedicated. Improvements, which included doubling the library space, adding a meeting room, and making the building more energy efficient, cost a total of $160,000. (80^th Annual Report of the Gaston County Public Library 1984-1985)

          1985

• Gaston County Public Library had a collection of 50 video tapes. (GGZ 15 May 1990, p. B1)

          20 April 1985

• During National Library Week, the Friends of the Gaston County Public Library began sponsoring the library’s annual book sale. They collected $3,694 for the purchasing of furniture and equipment for the different library facilities. (80^th Annual Report of the Gaston County Public Library 1984-1985)

          June 1985

• Work began on the new addition to the Belmont Branch library. (80^th Annual Report of the Gaston County Public Library 1984-1985)

          October 1985

• Work completed on the Belmont Branch library. (80^th Annual Report of the Gaston County Public Library 1984-1985)

          February 1986

• Work began on the new addition to the Bessemer City Branch library. (82^nd Annual Report of the Gaston County Public Library 1986-1987)

          April 1986

• The Belmont, Cherryville, Mount Holly, and Stanley Library branches reopened on Saturdays with the addition of two part-time staff. The branches had been closed on Saturdays since September 1985 due to lack of funding for additional staff. (GGZ 28 Feb 1986, p. B1) (GGZ 24 April 1986)

          19 October 1986

• The newly renovated and expanded Bessemer City Branch Library was dedicated. Also in October, work began on the Dallas Branch Library. (82^nd Annual Report of the Gaston County Public Library 1986-1987)

          26 July 1987

• The newly expanded Dallas Branch Library was dedicated. (82^nd Annual Report of the Gaston County Public Library 1986-1987) (83^rd Annual report of the Gaston County Public Library 1987-1988)

          January 1988

• Work began on the renovation of the Cherryville Branch Library. (83^rd Annual report of the Gaston County Public Library 1987-1988)

          24 March 1988

• The contract for the conversion of bibliographic records and the implementation of a CD-ROM public access catalog was awarded to Auto-Graphics, Inc. of Pomona, California. (83^rd Annual report of the Gaston County Public Library 1987-1988)

          April 1988

• The Friends of the Gaston County Public Library made $8,000 from their annual book sale, which they donated for the purchase of the CD-ROM Public Access Catalog equipment, a computerized card catalogue. (83^rd Annual report of the Gaston County Public Library 1987-1988)

          July 1988

• Cherryville branch reopens after closing May 9 for renovations, which included the addition of a magazine room, shelving, new roof and insulation, lighting, carpeting, and handicapped-accessible restrooms.

          October 1988

• Newly renovated Cherryville branch library has dedication and open house. (GGZ 23 Oct 1988, p. B1)
• Mount Holly Public Library opened in new temporary location at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, while the West Catawba Avenue building underwent renovations. Story time was held in the church chapel while renovations were being completed for the library branch. (GGZ 23 October 1988, p. B1)

          16 March 1989

• The Information Network, a computer system accessing state and national data, first went on line at the Gastonia Main Library. Only accessible to staff, the information was used to answer reference questions. The Gaston County Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Council and Look Up Gaston provided funding for the new system. (GGZ 15 March 1989, p. B1)

          April 1989

• Computerized catalog system, called the CD-ROM PAC, replaced the paper-based index card catalog. Donations, state and private grants completely funded the new automated catalog’s cost of $200,000. The new catalog was the first step towards library automation. (GGZ 2 June 1988, p. C1) (GGZ 16 April 1989, p. B1)

          June 1989

• The newly renovated Mount Holly library branch reopened to the public. Open house and dedication were held later on August 6. (GGZ 6 August 1989, p. B1)

August 1989

• The Gastonia Main Library reduced Saturday hours from nine to four hours due to budget restrictions. The Main Library opened Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. instead of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (GGZ 23 August 1989, p. A1)