Forsyth County Public Library
Public library system in Forsyth County, Georgia
The Forsyth County Public Library (FCPL) is a consortium of five public libraries in Forsyth County, Georgia, United States. Four branches are located in the county seat of Cumming and one branch is located in Alpharetta.
The Forsyth County Public Library as of 2015 had the highest circulation per capita in the state of Georgia. The Sharon Forks branch was recognized as the busiest library in the state, with a circulation of over one million materials.
History
Early years: Gwinnett–Forsyth Regional Library
The first library in Forsyth County was run out of the home of Laura Hockenhull, who at the time owned a private library and decided to open it up to the public. By 1938 the Works Progress Administration (WPA) of Forsyth opened the first formal county library with a collection of just over 600 volumes. With funding from the WPA, this collection of books was housed throughout the county, largely on a bookmobile that covered 20 routes through the county.
In 1956, in an effort to consolidate resources, Forsyth and Gwinnett County created a joint library system named the Gwinnett–Forsyth Regional Library System. Their partnership drastically increased the number of volumes available in the system as Gwinnett County housed a half-dozen library locations while the Forsyth library collections were spread out among various buildings.
Finally, in 1966 a formal location for library use was constructed in Forsyth County.
The public source identifies “Forsyth County Public Library” as public library system in Forsyth County, Georgia. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Forsyth, County and Public.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Forsyth County Public Library”, the useful work is to connect “public library system in Forsyth County, Georgia” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 7, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q29094048. VIAF identifies the subject as 131688995. The Library of Congress control number is no2002081436. 2 of 4 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2015, 1938, 1956 and 1966.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Forsyth County Public Library”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Forsyth County Public Library primary sources, Forsyth County Public Library archive and Forsyth research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Forsyth County Public Library”?
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- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Forsyth County Public Library” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.