Alice & Jack Wirt Public Library
🏢 Bay County Library System · Bay City, Michigan
Alice & Jack Wirt Public Library
The Alice & Jack Wirt Public Library at 500 Center Avenue is the flagship headquarters of the Bay County Library System, opened in December 2005 after Bay County voters approved capital improvements in 2000. It houses Bay City's largest public collection alongside a dedicated Local History & Genealogy Room, an outdoor reading garden, a Memory Lab for digitizing personal media, and notary services by appointment.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–8pm |
| Thursday | 10am–8pm |
| Friday | 9am–5pm |
| Saturday | 9am–5pm |
| Sunday | 1pm–5pm (Sep–May only) |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 500 Center Avenue, Bay City, MI 48708
Phone: (989) 893-9566
Website: baycountylibrary.org
Plus Code: 86MRH4W7+VM (Bay City, MI)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📍 Plan your visit
🚉 Getting there
500 Center Ave, Bay City, MI 48708. Get transit & driving directions → (live subway, bus & car routes).
🚘 Parking
Free parking lot, free street parking nearby.
♿ Accessibility
Includes wheelchair-accessible entrance, accessible parking.
🛀 Amenities
Baby changing table.
⭐ Visitor rating
4.6 / 5 from 148 Google reviews.
🕑 Best time to go
Usually calmest soon after opening; busiest around 3 pm.
Visit details from the library’s Google Business Profile, verified October 2026 — confirm on official page before a special-date trip.
📖 About Alice & Jack Wirt Public Library
The Alice & Jack Wirt Public Library serves as the main headquarters of the Bay County Library System (BCLS), the four-branch regional system formed on January 1, 1974, when Bay County voters consolidated three independent libraries — the Bay City Public Library, Sage Library and Pinconning Library. When voters approved a millage and bond issue in 2000 for capital improvements, the result was a new headquarters building that opened in December 2005 at 500 Center Avenue in downtown Bay City, replacing the former Bay City branch. The building takes its name from Alice and Jack Wirt, Bay City community benefactors. The facility features the system's largest collection; a Local History and Genealogy Room staffed by Bay County Genealogical Society volunteers (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday 1–4 pm) holding city directories, high school yearbooks, maps, Bay City Times microfilm and census indexes; an outdoor reading garden; computer lab; study rooms; a large community meeting room; and a Memory Lab for digitizing personal photographs and media. The library offers Michigan Notary Public services by appointment and provides access to Michigan eLibrary (MeL), Libby, hoopla, Kanopy and Transparent Language Online.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Opened December 2005 as the new headquarters of Bay County Library System — the county's flagship public library and largest collection
- Local History & Genealogy Room with Bay City Times microfilm, city directories, census indexes and genealogy databases; staffed by Bay County Genealogical Society volunteers Mon, Tue, Thu & Sat 1–4 pm
- Outdoor reading garden and Memory Lab for digitizing personal photographs, slides and home videos
- Michigan Notary Public services available by appointment — call (989) 893-9566
- Sunday hours (1–5 pm, September through May) and extended weeknight hours until 8 pm Monday through Thursday
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Your Alice & Jack Wirt card unlocks Bay County's full digital and research collection:
📚 Services
- Local History & Genealogy Room — city directories, yearbooks, Bay City Times microfilm, census indexes (volunteer staff Mon/Tue/Thu/Sat 1–4 pm)
- Memory Lab — digitize personal photographs, slides, film and home video media
- Michigan Notary Public service by appointment — call (989) 893-9566
- Library of Things collection
- Public computers, printing, copying and free Wi-Fi
- Study rooms and large community meeting room
- Outdoor reading garden
- Interlibrary loan through MeLCat
- Business research resources and job search support
- Reference and reader's advisory assistance
🎸 Programs
- 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten
- Summer Reading Program for all ages
- Book clubs and reading challenges
- Computer and technology classes
- Genealogy & Research classes
- History Hounds Lecture Series
- Arts and culture programming
📍 Nearby Libraries in Bay City & Bay County
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What equipment does the Memory Lab at the Wirt Library have?
The Memory Lab lets you digitize personal media yourself. It includes a videocassette-to-DVD/MP4 converter, an audiocassette-to-MP3 converter, a photo slide-to-digital converter, an 11"x14" flatbed scanner for oversized documents and a book scanner for bound items like scrapbooks. The lab is reserved by appointment at the Alice & Jack Wirt Public Library.
Who were Alice and Jack Wirt, and why is the library named after them?
Alice and Jack Wirt were Bay City community benefactors whose support contributed to the establishment of the new main library building that opened in December 2005. The Bay County Library System honored their generosity by naming the flagship headquarters after them. Detailed records about the Wirts are held in the library's own Local History & Genealogy Room.
Does the Alice & Jack Wirt Library offer notary services?
Yes — Michigan Notary Public services are available at Alice & Jack Wirt by appointment. Call (989) 893-9566 to schedule. The notary is available Tuesday through Thursday 10 am–8 pm and Friday–Saturday 9 am–5 pm (when staff are present).
What is the Local History & Genealogy Room, and when is it staffed?
The Local History & Genealogy Room holds Bay City and Bay County historical materials including city directories, high school yearbooks, atlases, maps, local history files and microfilm of the Bay City Times. Bay County Genealogical Society volunteers staff the room Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday 1–4 pm to assist researchers. The collection also includes genealogy databases such as Ancestry, FamilySearch and Find a Grave.
Is the library open on Sundays, and are there evening hours?
Yes to both. Sunday hours are 1–5 pm from September through May (closed Sundays June–August). Monday through Thursday the library is open until 8 pm, and Friday and Saturday until 5 pm — making the Wirt library one of Bay City's most accessible public facilities for working families.
📋 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 lends a “Library of Things.” See what you can borrow besides books and find other libraries with a Library of Things Library of Things by state.
📚 This library has study rooms. See how library study rooms work — booking, time limits and quiet vs group rooms — and find other libraries with study rooms libraries with study rooms 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.
