Photo of Lewis Ray Library: Larry Felton Johnson/Cobb County Courier

The Cobb County Public Library announced that the Lewis Ray Library is expected to reopen on Monday, November 27 following its renovation project that began in early August.

The news release about the reopening describes the purpose of the renovations as follows:

“The library is being transformed by the Cobb County Property Management Department to become a Family Services branch that will focus on children’s collections, programming and resources. 

“The renovated space includes new enclosed children’s program and study rooms, reconfigured staff and service desk space, and updated furniture.”

The Lewis Ray library has served the Oakdale community for more than 56 years.

The library is located at 4500 Oakdale Rd., Smyrna 30080, between South Cobb Drive and Atlanta Road, near Interstate 285 and Cumberland Parkway. 

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An open house event for the library is planned, library officials said.

According to the news release, Lewis A. Ray Library patrons that place holds for library items to checkout are able to retrieve the materials at the Vinings Library, 4290 Paces Ferry Rd., Atlanta 30339 and can also utilize the South Cobb Regional Library in Mableton.

About the Cobb County Public Library

According to the Cobb County Public Library website:

Cobb County Public Library is a 15-branch system headquartered in Marietta, Georgia, where its staff members serve a diverse population of over 750,000 people. Cobb is one of Georgia’s fastest-growing counties, and Cobb County Public Library is dedicated to being a resource center in the community by providing equal access to information, materials, and services.

History of Cobb’s library system

The first public library in Cobb County was opened in the home of Sarah Freeman Clarke in Marietta. The first standalone library building, opened on Church Street in 1893 and was named for Clarke.

Libraries were opened in Acworth and Austell in subsequent years, and in 1959, the city of Marietta and several other Cobb County libraries combined to form a countywide system that began the Cobb County Public Library as we know it today.

You can read more about the history of the Cobb County Public Library by following this link.