Walter J. Hanna Memorial Public Library
🏢 Jefferson County Library Cooperative · Fairfield, Alabama
Walter J. Hanna Memorial Public Library
Named for General Walter J. "Crack" Hanna — World War II Silver Star recipient, Alabama's Adjutant General, and the Fairfield industrialist who founded Hanna Steel in 1954 — this Gary Avenue library has anchored civic life in one of Jefferson County's historic steel towns since the mid-twentieth century.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–5pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–5pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–5pm |
| Thursday | 10am–5pm |
| Friday | 10am–5pm |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 4615 Gary Avenue, Fairfield, AL 35064
Phone: (205) 783-6007
Website: fairfield.lib.al.us
Plus Code: 865MF3RM+9W (Fairfield, AL)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Walter J. Hanna Memorial Public Library
The Walter J. Hanna Memorial Public Library has served Fairfield — a planned steel-company town founded by U.S. Steel in 1910 on the western edge of Jefferson County — since the mid-twentieth century. Named for General Walter J. "Crack" Hanna, a decorated World War II veteran (Silver Star, 31st "Dixie" Infantry Division), Alabama's Adjutant General, and the industrialist who founded Hanna Steel Corporation in Fairfield in 1954, the library stands as a civic anchor in a city whose landscape was shaped by steel and faith. Located in a converted former savings-and-loan building on Gary Avenue (accessible from I-59/20, Exit 119A), it houses a dedicated children's area, a circulating collection of roughly 18,300 volumes, and a media suite the library calls "Fairfield's Video Vault." As a charter member of the Jefferson County Library Cooperative (JCLC) since its 1978 founding, the library gives Fairfield residents a single countywide card that works at 22 member systems — including Birmingham's 19 branches — and connects to nearly 2 million catalog titles, OverDrive/Libby digital lending, and the statewide Alabama Virtual Library (AVL).
⭐ What makes this library special
- Charter member of the Jefferson County Library Cooperative (JCLC) since 1978 — one countywide card works at all 22 member library systems, including Birmingham Public Library's 19 branches
- Access to nearly 2 million catalog titles via the JCLC shared system, plus countywide daily delivery between member libraries
- Free OverDrive/Libby lending (jclc.overdrive.com) with eBooks, audiobooks, and thousands of digital magazines — available 24/7
- Free Alabama Virtual Library (AVL) access: EBSCO, Britannica, Ancestry Library Edition, LearningExpress, Homework Alabama, and more for all Alabama residents
- "Fairfield's Video Vault" — circulating media collection plus public computers, Wi-Fi, printing, color copying ($1.00/page), and fax service
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Fairfield cardholders access Jefferson County and Alabama's shared digital collections free of charge:
📚 Services
- Borrowing from a shared JCLC catalog of nearly 2 million titles
- One countywide JCLC card works at all 22 member library systems
- Interlibrary loan and daily countywide delivery between member libraries
- "Fairfield's Video Vault" — circulating DVD and media collection
- Public computers and free Wi-Fi
- Black-and-white printing
- Color copying ($1.00 per page)
- Fax service — send ($1 local, $2 first page + $1/page long distance) and receive
- Children's area with picture books and early-reader collections
- Books-by-Mail program through JCLC for patrons who cannot visit in person
🎸 Programs
- Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) — statewide summer reading challenge for children, teens, and adults
- Children's story times and early-literacy programming (contact library for current schedule)
- Books-by-Mail program through JCLC for homebound patrons
📍 Nearby Libraries in Jefferson County
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Who was General Walter J. Hanna, and why is this library named after him?
General Walter J. "Crack" Hanna was a Fairfield industrialist and one of Alabama's most decorated military figures. He earned the nickname "Crack" for expert marksmanship, served as assistant commanding general of the 31st "Dixie" Infantry Division in the South Pacific during World War II (earning a Silver Star), and led the 1954 Phenix City martial-law cleanup that resulted in 749 indictments. He then founded Hanna Steel Corporation in Fairfield in 1954 — breaking ground on the Gary Avenue plant in 1963 — and served as Alabama's Adjutant General. The library bearing his name honors his lasting impact on the Fairfield community.
Does my Fairfield library card work at other Jefferson County libraries?
Yes. One JCLC library card works at all 22 Jefferson County Library Cooperative member systems — including Birmingham Public Library's 19 branches, Homewood, Vestavia Hills, Bessemer, and more. You can borrow from any member library and have items transferred to Fairfield for pickup through the countywide delivery network. The cooperative has served Fairfield as a charter member since its 1978 founding.
Can I access eBooks and research databases from home with a JCLC card?
Yes. Your JCLC card unlocks OverDrive/Libby (eBooks, audiobooks, and digital magazines at jclc.overdrive.com) and the statewide Alabama Virtual Library (AVL), which includes EBSCO periodicals, Britannica, Ancestry Library Edition, LearningExpress, and Homework Alabama live tutoring — all free, 24/7, from any device.
Fairfield is a historic steel-company town — can I research its industrial history at the library?
The Walter J. Hanna Library participates in the JCLC shared catalog, which connects to Birmingham Public Library's Southern History and Tutwiler Collections — two of the South's premier archives for Birmingham district industry, labor, and local history. Ancestry Library Edition (available free through AVL in-branch) is also a strong resource for tracing family roots in Jefferson County's mining and steel communities.
✎ Notice something out of date? Suggest a correction and we’ll verify and update it.
