Bay County Public Library
🏢 Northwest Regional Library System · Panama City, Florida
Bay County Public Library
The headquarters of the Northwest Regional Library System, the Bay County Public Library anchors downtown Panama City at 898 West 11th Street — home to a dedicated Local History Room, a 3D-printing lab, and a talking-book service, open until 7 p.m. Monday through Wednesday.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–7pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–7pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–7pm |
| Thursday | 9am–5pm |
| Friday | 9am–5pm |
| Saturday | 9am–5pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 898 West 11th Street, Panama City, FL 32401
Phone: (850) 522-2100
Website: nwrls.com
Plus Code: 862P589G+CV (Panama City, FL)
📱 Scan for directions
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👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Bay County Public Library
The Bay County Public Library is the flagship and headquarters of the Northwest Regional Library System (NWRLS), which serves Bay, Gulf and Liberty counties in Florida's panhandle. Library service in Bay County traces back to 1911, when 14 women of the Lynn Haven Literary Club pooled books and magazines to start the area's first collection; the building was renamed the Bay County Public Library in 1941, and in 1962 the library joined with Washington County to form the regional system it now heads. The library sustained major damage from Hurricane Michael in 2018 and has since undergone a hardening project — a new roof and large high-impact windows — to better weather future storms. Today the Panama City building pairs a full circulating collection with a non-circulating Local History Room, public computers, meeting space and a 3D-printing lab, and it coordinates outreach, a talking-book service and youth programming across the tri-county system.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Headquarters of the Northwest Regional Library System (NWRLS), serving Bay, Gulf & Liberty counties
- Local History Room with 1930s city directories, school yearbooks, maps, newspapers, photographs & artifacts from founding Bay County families (open Mon-Fri 9am-4:30pm)
- 3D-printing lab — one of only three NWRLS locations offering it (with Port St. Joe & Bristol) — available during open lab times or by appointment
- Talking Book Library service and assistive technology for patrons with print disabilities
- Hardened after Hurricane Michael (2018) with a new roof and high-impact windows for storm resilience
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Bay County cardholders can stream, download and research free with these resources:
📚 Services
- Local History Room for genealogy & Bay County research (non-circulating)
- 3D-printing lab during open lab times or by appointment
- Talking Book Library & assistive technology for print-disabled patrons
- Notary public service
- Exam & test proctoring
- Meeting rooms for community groups
- Public computers, printing & free Wi-Fi
🎸 Programs
- Early-literacy storytimes for children
- STE(A)M programming, including virtual-reality sessions
- Teen & youth programming
- Computer & technology classes
- English as a Second Language (ESL) classes
- Mobile-library outreach across the tri-county system
📍 Nearby Libraries in the Florida Panhandle
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Panama City · Browse all Florida libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Local History Room at the Bay County Public Library?
The Local History Room holds print materials, artifacts and photographs about Bay County that do not circulate — including city directories from the 1930s, school yearbooks, maps, area books, telephone directories, newspapers and items donated by founding families. It is open for in-person research Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m., separate from the main library's hours.
Can I use a 3D printer at the Bay County Public Library?
Yes. Bay County Public Library is one of only three Northwest Regional Library System locations with 3D printing (the others are in Port St. Joe and Bristol). You can use the printers during scheduled open-lab times or by making an appointment with trained staff.
What area does the Northwest Regional Library System serve, and does my card work across it?
The Bay County Public Library is the headquarters of the Northwest Regional Library System, which serves Bay, Gulf and Liberty counties across Florida's panhandle. A single NWRLS card borrows at the Panama City headquarters and the system's other branches, and unlocks the shared LS2 catalog and OverDrive/Libby collection.
When is the Bay County Public Library open?
The library is open Monday through Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on Sundays. The Local History Room keeps its own weekday hours of 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
📋 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.
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