Parkersburg & Wood County Public Library
🏢 Parkersburg & Wood County Public Library · Parkersburg, West Virginia
Parkersburg & Wood County Public Library
Parkersburg & Wood County Public Library serves the Mid-Ohio Valley from its Emerson Avenue headquarters, a successor to the city's landmark 1905 Carnegie building and home to genealogy research, notary services, and a bookmobile reaching Wood County communities.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9 AM – 8 PM |
| Tuesday | 9 AM – 8 PM |
| Wednesday | 9 AM – 8 PM |
| Thursday | 9 AM – 8 PM |
| Friday | 9 AM – 5 PM |
| Saturday | 10 AM – 5 PM |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 3100 EMERSON AV., PARKERSBURG, WV 26104
Phone: +1-304-420-4587
Website: parkwoodlib.com
Plus Code: 86FW7FP6+CW (PARKERSBURG, WV)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Parkersburg & Wood County Public Library
Library service in Parkersburg dates to 1891, when civic residents door-to-door signed up between 75 and 100 members and assembled a founding collection of 1,000 items above the Moss Bookstore on Market Street. In 1905, Andrew Carnegie provided $34,000 for the construction of a Classical Revival brick library building — a two-story, L-shaped structure with a gray stone facade and Doric order columns that served the city for 70 years and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The library eventually relocated to the current Emerson Avenue building, which became the main Emerson Branch; the Carnegie building is no longer a library but remains a Parkersburg landmark. Today the Parkersburg & Wood County Public Library system operates four locations — Emerson Branch, South Parkersburg Branch, Williamstown Branch, and a county bookmobile — and is directed by Brian E. Raitz. The Emerson Branch houses a dedicated Young Reader's Room, the Summers Auditorium for community events, and meeting spaces including a Board Room and Small Conference Room available for reservation. The library has long maintained a strong genealogy collection and offers notary services to patrons.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Successor to the 1905 Carnegie Library — now on the National Register of Historic Places
- Library roots date to 1891, one of West Virginia's oldest continuously operating public libraries
- Summers Auditorium and multiple meeting rooms available for community reservations
- Genealogy research collection serving Mid-Ohio Valley family history researchers
- Bookmobile serving rural Wood County communities; notary services available
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Your library card opens WV Reads (West Virginia's statewide eBook & audiobook network) plus Hoopla and a full suite of research databases.
📚 Services
- Free library card (Wood County residents)
- Genealogy research collection
- Notary services
- Summers Auditorium (community event space)
- Board Room, Small Conference Room, Young Reader's Room (reservable)
- Public computers & free Wi-Fi
- Print, copy, scan, and fax
- Mobile printing
- Interlibrary loan
- Bookmobile (county routes)
- Talking Books program
- Technology assistance
🎸 Programs
- Children's programs and Young Reader's Room activities
- Teen events and activities
- Adult programs and reading challenges
- Community events in Summers Auditorium
- Summer reading program
📍 Nearby Libraries in the Mid-Ohio Valley
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in PARKERSBURG · Browse all West Virginia libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to Parkersburg's original Carnegie Library?
The 1905 Carnegie Library — a Classical Revival brick building with Doric columns, funded by Andrew Carnegie's $34,000 grant — served Parkersburg for 70 years. In 1943, lightning struck the dome and fire spread through the building, though repairs were completed in three months with no books lost. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. After the library relocated to Emerson Avenue, the Carnegie building was used as a bookstore and remains a Parkersburg landmark today.
Does Parkersburg & Wood County Public Library offer notary services?
Yes. Notary services are available at the Emerson Branch. Contact the library at 304-420-4587 to confirm availability and schedule.
How many locations does the library system have?
The system operates four locations: the main Emerson Branch at 3100 Emerson Ave (Parkersburg), the South Parkersburg Branch at 1807 Blizzard Drive, the Williamstown Branch at 201 West 5th Street in Williamstown, and a bookmobile serving rural Wood County communities.
Can I reserve a meeting room at the Emerson Branch?
Yes. The Emerson Branch has the Summers Auditorium, a Board Room, Small Conference Room, Foyer, and Young Reader's Room available for community reservations. Contact the library at 304-420-4587 for availability and booking.
📋 This library offers notary services. See what a library notary can do — what to bring, fees and appointments — and find other libraries with a notary notary services by state.
📜 This library has genealogy & local-history resources. See how library family-history research works and find other libraries with genealogy collections genealogy libraries by state.
🖨 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.
📅 This library has meeting & community rooms. See how library meeting rooms work — booking, policies and fees — and find other libraries with meeting or community rooms meeting rooms by state.
✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.
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