Gaston County Public Library

🏢 Gaston County Public Library · Gastonia, North Carolina

Gaston County Public Library

The Main Library of the Gaston County Public Library system anchors Gastonia from a 60,000-square-foot building on East Garrison Boulevard that opened in 1978. It is the headquarters of a ten-location county system with roots reaching back to a 1905 subscription library in downtown Gastonia.

📞 (704) 868-2164🌐 gastonlibrary.org🧭 Get directions
🕑 Hours & visit📖 About⭐ Highlights📚 Services📍 Nearby❓ FAQ

🕑 Library Hours

Monday 10am–8pm
Tuesday 10am–8pm
Wednesday 10am–6pm
Thursday 10am–8pm
Friday 10am–2pm
Saturday 10am–2pm
Sunday Closed

Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.

📍 Location, Contact & Directions

Address: 1555 East Garrison Boulevard, Gastonia, NC 28054

Phone: (704) 868-2164

Website: gastonlibrary.org

Plus Code: 867W7R2R+WV (Gastonia, NC)

QR code with directions to Gaston County Public Library

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👋 Use the Library Online

🔍Search the Catalog (Polaris) →🌐Library homepage & card info →📚NC LIVE — free statewide research →

📍 Plan your visit

🚉 Getting there

1555 E Garrison Blvd, Gastonia, NC 28054. Get transit & driving directions → (live subway, bus & car routes).

♿ Accessibility

Includes wheelchair-accessible entrance, accessible parking, accessible restroom.

🛀 Amenities

Baby changing table.

⭐ Visitor rating

4.7 / 5 from 243 Google reviews.

🕑 Best time to go

Usually calmest soon after opening; busiest around 4 pm.

Visit details from the library’s Google Business Profile, verified October 2026 — confirm on official page before a special-date trip.

📖 About Gaston County Public Library

Gaston County Public Library traces its beginnings to 1900, when a fifty-book traveling station was set up at the office of Dr. D. E. McConnell, and to the subscription-based Gastonia Library that opened on January 2, 1905 in the downtown YMCA Hall. In 1931 the library moved into a new $25,000 building at 115 West Second Avenue, and in 1937 — as Gaston County commissioners began funding countywide service — it was renamed the Gaston County Public Library. From 1964 to 2012 it operated jointly with Lincoln County as the Gaston-Lincoln Regional System before returning to single-county operation. The present Main Library at 1555 East Garrison Boulevard opened in 1978, a roughly 60,000-square-foot facility dedicated in February 1979, and today serves as the headquarters of a ten-branch county system. It houses a non-circulating North Carolina Collection focused on Gaston and Lincoln County history and genealogy, alongside general lending collections, public computing, and programming for all ages.

⭐ What makes this library special

  • Headquarters and largest location of the Gaston County Public Library, a county system of ten facilities across Gaston County
  • Current Main Library building opened in 1978 (roughly 60,000 sq ft) and was dedicated in February 1979
  • Library service in Gastonia dates to a 1905 subscription library in the downtown YMCA Hall, with a traveling station as early as 1900
  • North Carolina Collection: a non-circulating local-history and genealogy reference collection focused on Gaston and Lincoln counties
  • Genealogy databases including HeritageQuest Online and Ancestry Library Edition, available in-library and (HeritageQuest) from home via NC LIVE

📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card

Gaston County Public Library cardholders reach free statewide and national digital resources from home or in the library:

📚 NC LIVEFree statewide access to tens of thousands of e-books plus journals, magazines, newspapers, and research databases such as HeritageQuest Online — usable from home with a Gaston County library card.
📱 Libby (OverDrive)Borrow e-books and audiobooks on any phone or tablet, and send titles to a Kindle, through the free Libby app with your library card.
🗺 Ancestry Library EditionSearch census records, family histories, and genealogical databases from any library computer to complement the Main Library's North Carolina Collection.
🔍 Online Catalog (Polaris)Search the full county catalog, place holds, and manage your account online, then pick up materials at the Main Library or any branch.

📚 Services

  • Physical book, audiobook, DVD, and periodical checkout across a ten-location county system
  • North Carolina Collection: non-circulating local-history and genealogy reference for Gaston and Lincoln counties
  • Genealogy research with HeritageQuest Online and Ancestry Library Edition
  • Public computing stations and free Wi-Fi
  • Printing, copying, and scanning
  • Holds and shared borrowing across all Gaston County Public Library branches via the online catalog
  • Children's, teen, and adult reading collections
  • Meeting and study spaces at the Main Library

🎸 Programs

  • Children's storytimes and early-literacy sessions, including Wiggle Time for infants
  • LEGO clubs and youth activity programs
  • Genealogy club and local-history programs
  • Summer reading challenge for all ages
  • Adult book clubs and reading programs
  • Community and cultural programming at the Main Library

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What can I check out from the Gaston County Public Library's Library of Things?

Launched on September 3, 2024, the Library of Things lets you borrow non-traditional items such as tools, exercise equipment, hobby and activity kits, and electronics. You need an adult library card in good standing to check these items out. See more examples in our guide to what you can borrow besides books.

When did the current Gaston County Public Library Main Library building open?

The present Main Library at 1555 East Garrison Boulevard in Gastonia opened in 1978 and was formally dedicated in February 1979. It is a roughly 60,000-square-foot building that serves as the headquarters of the ten-location Gaston County Public Library system. Library service in Gastonia itself is much older, dating to a subscription library that opened in the downtown YMCA Hall on January 2, 1905.

How many library locations does Gaston County Public Library have?

The Gaston County Public Library operates ten facilities across the county, with the Main Library in Gastonia acting as the headquarters and largest location. A single library card works at every branch, and you can place holds through the online catalog and pick materials up wherever is most convenient.

Can I research my family history or Gaston County history at the Main Library?

Yes. The Main Library houses the North Carolina Collection, a non-circulating reference collection focused on the history and genealogy of Gaston and Lincoln counties, including city directories, family histories, and county records. Cardholders can also use HeritageQuest Online (available from home through NC LIVE) and Ancestry Library Edition (available on library computers).

Was Gaston County Public Library ever part of a regional system?

Yes. From 1964 to 2012 the library operated jointly with neighboring Lincoln County as the Gaston-Lincoln Regional System. The two counties separated in 2012, returning the Gaston County Public Library to single-county operation, which is how it is organized today.

📜 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.

✎ Notice something out of date? Suggest a correction and we’ll verify and update it.

✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.

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