Library · Atlanta
Central Library
Atlanta’s library is the Central Library, a branch of Fulton County Library System, open about 53 hours a week.
IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024County system. Atlanta’s branch belongs to Fulton County Library System, which serves 1,094,693 people. The yearly numbers below are for the whole system, not just this branch. A card works at every branch.
Your branch
Central Library
One Margaret Mitchell Square, Atlanta 30303
53 hrsopen a week
265,155sq ft
Charges late finesLate fees on some overdue items
E-books & audiobooksBorrow from home with your card
Auto-renews loansBooks renew on their own if no one’s waiting
Research databasesOnline courses, journals, genealogy and more
Fiscal year 2024
A year at Fulton County Library System
2.3M
visits
2.1 per resident
4.3M
loans, print + digital
3.9 per resident
9,496
programs & events
190K attended
962K
library cards
88% of people served
How it compares
Against libraries serving 100,000+ people
Per-resident numbers, compared only with libraries of a similar size across the country, because a tiny town’s library always looks busier per person.
Visits per resident
2.1 visits · typical 2.1
Higher than 51% of similar-size libraries
Borrowing per resident
2.1 print items · typical 3.2
A little below typical (29th percentile)
Digital borrowing
1.9 e-items · typical 1.4
Higher than 61% of similar-size libraries
Kids’ borrowing
1.3 kids’ items · typical 1.6
A little below typical (37th percentile)
Program attendance
0.2 attendees · typical 0.2
A little below typical (37th percentile)
Cardholders
88% of residents
Top 10% of similar-size libraries
Borrowing & programs
What people use it for
What people borrow
4.3M loans last year
Books & media (adults)21%Kids’ books & media32%E-books, audio & streaming47%
Who the programs are for
9,496 story times, classes, clubs and events
Money
Who pays for it
$27 per resident a year
Typical for a library this size: $36. Operating budget $3M.
Local 90%State 9%Federal 0%Gifts & other 1%
Locations
Other Fulton County Library System branches in Atlanta
2.3mi
Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American History &Atlanta · 52 hrs a week
Directions →And 5 more in Atlanta.
About these numbers
How to read this page
Hours are an averageThe survey reports a building’s public hours for the whole year. We divide by the weeks it was open, so check the library’s own site for today’s hours.
Compared by size“Similar-size” means libraries serving about as many people, nationwide. Per-resident numbers always flatter the smallest towns, so they’re never compared with big cities.
One year, the library’s own countLibraries report their own visits, loans and programs for fiscal year 2024. A library that didn’t respond keeps its address and hours here, with no numbers.
Source: Institute of Museum and Library Services, Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024. Distances are straight-line from the town center.