Selma-Dallas County Public Library
🏢 Dallas County Public Library System · Selma, Alabama
Selma-Dallas County Public Library
The Selma-Dallas County Public Library has anchored downtown Selma since 1904, when a Carnegie grant funded construction of one of Alabama's earliest purpose-built public libraries. Located at 1103 Selma Avenue in a building spanning 25,000 square feet, the library holds 76,751 volumes and serves a city whose courthouse and Edmund Pettus Bridge are synonymous with the American civil rights movement. In 1963 the library itself became a landmark of that movement when it was peacefully integrated under the leadership of Patricia Swift Blalock.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–5pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–5pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–5pm |
| Thursday | 9am–5pm |
| Friday | 9am–5pm |
| Saturday | 9am–1pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 1103 Selma Avenue, SELMA, AL 36701
Phone: (334) 874-1725
Plus Code: 864JCX5H+JQ (SELMA, AL)
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👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Selma-Dallas County Public Library
The Selma-Dallas County Public Library dates to 1904, when it was established with Carnegie matching funds as one of Alabama's earliest Carnegie libraries — the philanthropic program that built hundreds of public libraries across the United States between 1883 and 1929. It serves both the City of Selma and Dallas County from its 25,000-square-foot building at 1103 Selma Avenue in the heart of downtown. The library's place in American history goes beyond books: in 1963, under the leadership of Patricia Swift Blalock, the public library of Selma-Dallas County was peacefully integrated, breaking the color barrier in a city that two years later would see the Selma to Montgomery marches — including the pivotal events of Bloody Sunday on March 7, 1965 — lead directly to the Voting Rights Act. Today the library holds 76,751 volumes along with digital resources through the Alabama Virtual Library (AVL), offering Selma and Dallas County residents free access to statewide databases and eBooks around the clock. The library is open Monday through Friday and Saturday mornings, with phone access at (334) 874-1725.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Carnegie library founded 1904 — one of Alabama's earliest purpose-built public libraries, funded by Andrew Carnegie's philanthropic program
- Integrated in 1963 under librarian Patricia Swift Blalock, two years before the historic Selma to Montgomery marches
- Occupies a 25,000-square-foot building in downtown Selma, home to 76,751 cataloged volumes
- Located in the city that gave the nation the Voting Rights Act of 1965, with the Edmund Pettus Bridge just blocks away
- Free access to the Alabama Virtual Library (AVL) — statewide databases and eBooks for every Dallas County resident
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Selma-Dallas County cardholders access Alabama's statewide digital collection at no cost:
📚 Services
- Free public library card for Selma and Dallas County residents
- 76,751-volume collection spanning fiction, nonfiction, reference and children's materials
- Public computers and free Wi-Fi
- Printing and photocopying
- Interlibrary loan
- Children's and youth collections
- Reference and reader's advisory assistance
🎸 Programs
- Children's storytimes and youth programming
- Summer reading program
- Adult literacy and community programs
- Reference and genealogy research support
📍 Nearby Libraries in the Black Belt Region
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
When was the Selma-Dallas County Public Library founded, and is it a Carnegie library?
Yes — the Selma-Dallas County Public Library was established in 1904 with construction funded through Andrew Carnegie's philanthropic program, making it one of Alabama's earliest Carnegie libraries. Carnegie funded more than 2,500 libraries worldwide between 1883 and 1929, and Selma was among the early beneficiaries in the Deep South.
What role did the Selma library play in the civil rights movement?
In 1963, under the leadership of librarian Patricia Swift Blalock, the public library of Selma-Dallas County was peacefully integrated — desegregating a major public institution in a city that just two years later would be the site of the Selma to Montgomery marches and Bloody Sunday (March 7, 1965), events that led directly to the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
What are the library's hours, and is it open on Saturdays?
The library is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It is closed on Sunday. For questions, call (334) 874-1725.
What is the Alabama Virtual Library and how can Selma residents use it?
The Alabama Virtual Library (AVL) is a state-funded collection of databases, eBooks and research resources available free to every Alabama resident 24 hours a day, regardless of whether the library is open. Selma-Dallas County cardholders access AVL at avl.lib.al.us using their library card number.
🖨 This library offers printing, copying & fax. See how library printing, copying, scanning and fax services work — costs and mobile printing — and find other libraries that offer them printing & fax by state.
✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.
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