Eugenia H. Young Memorial Library
🏢 Cleveland County Library System · Shelby, North Carolina
Eugenia H. Young Memorial Library
The Eugenia H. Young Memorial Library is the main branch of the Cleveland County Library System, a 27,000-square-foot facility at 104 Howie Drive in Shelby that traces its roots to 1911, when six friends founded Cleveland County's first lending library with two tables, two bookcases, and 50 books.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–7pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–7pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–7pm |
| Thursday | 9am–7pm |
| Friday | 10am–5pm |
| Saturday | 10am–2pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 104 Howie Drive, SHELBY, NC 28150
Phone: (704) 487-9069
Website: clevelandcounty.com
Plus Code: 867W7CVV+3G (SHELBY, NC)
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📖 About Eugenia H. Young Memorial Library
In 1911, six friends — Madge Webb Riley, sisters Oeland, Cora, and Fan Barnett, Anne Miller, and Mamie Jones — opened Cleveland County's first lending library in an unheated room behind a law office near the County Court Square, staffed entirely by volunteers with 50 books and open two afternoons a week. After several relocations the library moved to 104 Howie Drive in 1971 and was renamed Cleveland County Memorial Library. In 2020 the main branch was renamed the Eugenia H. Young Memorial Library in honor of a local benefactor. A major expansion in 1990 brought the building to its current 27,000 square feet, housing roughly 190,000 items including books, eBooks, audiobooks, and videos, along with a dedicated genealogy room, three meeting rooms, and 27 public computers. The library serves Cleveland County through the NC Cardinal shared catalog, NC LIVE statewide digital resources, and the E-iNC Digital Library consortium, and also maintains a seed library for community gardeners.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Founded in 1911 by six community volunteers with 50 books in an unheated room — one of the oldest public libraries in the North Carolina Piedmont
- Renamed Eugenia H. Young Memorial Library in 2020; main branch of the two-location Cleveland County Library System
- 27,000 sq ft facility housing approximately 190,000 items, including a dedicated genealogy room and three meeting rooms
- Evening hours Monday through Thursday until 7 p.m. for after-work and after-school visits
- Seed library available for community gardeners, alongside workforce development and business resources
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Cleveland County cardholders get free statewide digital access through NC LIVE:
📚 Services
- Book, audiobook, DVD, and magazine lending
- Dedicated genealogy room with local and state history resources
- Seed library for community gardeners
- Three meeting rooms available for community use
- 27 public computers, printing, and free Wi-Fi
- Workforce development and business entrepreneurship resources
- Youth services and programming
- Library card issuance for Cleveland County residents
- Interlibrary loan through the NC Cardinal statewide catalog
🎸 Programs
- Children's and youth programming
- Summer reading program
- Community engagement and literacy initiatives
- Genealogy and local history research assistance
📍 Nearby Libraries in Piedmont North Carolina
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in SHELBY · Browse all North Carolina libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How did this library start, and why is it named Eugenia H. Young Memorial Library?
The library began in 1911 when six local women opened Cleveland County's first lending library in a single unheated room near the courthouse, staffed entirely by volunteers with 50 books. After relocating several times, it moved to 104 Howie Drive in 1971 and became Cleveland County Memorial Library. In 2020 the main branch was renamed the Eugenia H. Young Memorial Library to honor a local community benefactor.
What genealogy resources does the library offer?
The library has a dedicated genealogy room for local and North Carolina history research, and through NC LIVE, cardholders access HeritageQuest Online — which includes digitized U.S. Census records and family history collections — from home or in the library. Staff can provide guidance for those starting genealogy research.
What is the seed library, and how does it work?
The Eugenia H. Young Memorial Library maintains a seed library where community gardeners can borrow seed packets for vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Borrowers grow their plants, collect seeds at the end of the season, and return some to the library to keep the collection replenished — no charge to participate.
What evening hours does the library offer?
The library is open Monday through Thursday 9 a.m.–7 p.m. for evening access. Friday hours are 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Saturday is 10 a.m.–2 p.m., and the library is closed Sunday.
📜 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.
🌱 This library has a seed library. See how library seed libraries work — borrow free seeds, grow them, and save some to return — and find other libraries with a seed library seed libraries by state.
✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.
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