Library of Hattiesburg, Petal & Forrest County
🏢 Library of Hattiesburg, Petal & Forrest County · Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Library of Hattiesburg, Petal & Forrest County
The main library of the Hattiesburg, Petal & Forrest County system sits at 329 Hardy Street in downtown Hattiesburg, open to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and pairing a large public computer lab and genealogy collection with a companion branch across the river in Petal.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 8am–7pm |
| Tuesday | 8am–7pm |
| Wednesday | 8am–7pm |
| Thursday | 8am–7pm |
| Friday | 8:30am–5pm |
| Saturday | 8:30am–5pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 329 Hardy Street, Hattiesburg, MS 39401
Phone: (601) 582-4461
Website: hattlibrary.org
Plus Code: 863G8PF3+V2 (Hattiesburg, MS)
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📖 About Library of Hattiesburg, Petal & Forrest County
The Library of Hattiesburg, Petal & Forrest County is the public library serving Hattiesburg, the city of Petal and surrounding Forrest County in south Mississippi. Its roots reach back to a movement begun by the American Legion in 1927; the city approved bonds to build a library, and the Hattiesburg Municipal Library was dedicated on May 22, 1930, in a converted former First Presbyterian Church on Main Street — a building that today houses the Hattiesburg Cultural Center and Historical Society Museum. In the mid-1990s the library moved into its current larger home at 329 Hardy Street, and it operates a second branch, the Petal Library, at 714 S. Main Street in Petal. The system is a MAGNOLIA participant, so Mississippi residents can reach research databases from home, and its local-history holdings — the Mississippi Room and Hattiesburg vertical files — are partly digitized through the Mississippi Digital Library.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Large public technology access: a 24-station main computer lab, a 6-station youth lab and free scanning to email
- Deep local-history and genealogy resources, including the Mississippi Room, Hattiesburg vertical files and Ancestry Library Edition on site
- Companion Petal Library branch at 714 S. Main Street (601-584-7610) for Forrest County residents east of the Leaf River
- Four monthly book clubs — Monday Night, Wednesday Noon, Petal and a Banned Book Club — plus a free 'Thursday Theater' film series at 2 p.m.
- Group study rooms (6-10 seats in Hattiesburg, 14 in Petal) and a quiet study area seating up to 22
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
With a Library of Hattiesburg card, Forrest County residents can stream, research and trace family history for free:
📚 Services
- Public computer labs (24-station main lab, 6-station youth lab, 7 stations at Petal)
- Printing (20¢ black & white, $1 color), free scan-to-email and fax service ($2/page)
- Reference and research assistance for students, genealogists and the public
- Interlibrary loan
- Group study rooms and a quiet study area
- Free mail service for print-disabled patrons through the Library of Congress
- Mississippi Room local-history and genealogy collection
🎸 Programs
- Four monthly book clubs (Monday Night, Wednesday Noon, Petal, Banned Book Club)
- Thursday Theater free film screenings at 2 p.m.
- Children's storytimes and youth programming
- Library tours for adults and children (by appointment)
- Summer reading
📍 Nearby Libraries in South Mississippi
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Hattiesburg · Browse all Mississippi libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the main Library of Hattiesburg, and is there a branch in Petal?
The main library is at 329 Hardy Street in downtown Hattiesburg (601-582-4461), where it moved in the mid-1990s. There is a second branch, the Petal Library, at 714 S. Main Street in Petal (601-584-7610), serving Forrest County residents east of the Leaf River. A single system card works at both.
What are the library's hours during the week?
The Hattiesburg main library is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on Sundays. Because branch and holiday hours can differ, it's worth confirming the Petal branch schedule before a special trip.
Can I research my family history at the Library of Hattiesburg?
Yes. The library maintains a Mississippi Room with local-history and genealogy holdings, including Hattiesburg vertical files, and offers Ancestry Library Edition on its public computers along with Newspapers.com access to Hattiesburg newspapers from 1902 to 1939. Staff provide research assistance for genealogists, and some local collections are digitized through the Mississippi Digital Library.
What free programs does the library run for adults?
The library hosts four monthly book clubs — Monday Night, Wednesday Noon, a Petal club and a Banned Book Club — plus a free Thursday Theater film series screened at 2 p.m. It also offers guided library tours by appointment for adult groups.
📜 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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