History of Doraville Library

Doraville Library, photo from “Images of America: Doraville,” and taken by Bob Kelley

Included in the Doraville collection within the archives of the DeKalb History Center is a document titled “Doraville City Library Background,” which describes the library’s history.

The land for the first Doraville library was donated by Dr. J. E. Flowers and E. S. Grant. The $18,488 cost was covered by DeKalb County bond funds in 1953. Three thousand books were loaned from the Decatur DeKalb Regional Library. There were plans to raise money for a permanent book collection.

The original building was an extension of the Doraville Community Center on Central Avenue.

By 1967, the community had already outgrown this original library. A new building was constructed in 1969 with money from the U.S. government Library Service and Construction Act and from the City of Doraville.

The library went from a 1,800 addition to the Community Center to a 5,500 square foot building constructed at 3748 Central Avenue in 1969. Another 5,000 square feet were added in 1978, including a Children’s Room. The City of Doraville funded the addition.

The future of the library’s name had not been decided in 1969, as it had been previously referred to as the North DeKalb Library. Of course, it became known as Doraville Library. Bob Kelley’s book “Images of America,” refers to an opening date of 1970.

The NOTIS on-line information systems is included in the history, “the primary tool for information services used by both staff and patrons.” Part of the NOTIS system was the LUIS system to located books and audio-visual materials.

An article in the 1969 Atlanta Journal provides more information from Mrs. Charles Fadden chairman of the Doraville Library Board and Mrs. Kenneth Davis, chairman of the library building committee. (Newspapers never included married women’s first names) Mrs. Davis said the library would have shelving for 30,000 volumes and could be modified to accommodate 40,000 volumes. (Atlanta Journal, July 2, 1969, “Grant for Doraville library raises funds to $142,000”)

Mrs. Fadden had lived in Doraville 13 years and recalled the previous library only being open two afternoons a week. The new Doraville Library was open six days a week and three nights each week. There were five staff members. Fadden also shared that in 1950 Doraville had 472 residents and by 1960 there were 4,500 residents.