Laurel-Jones County Library
🏢 Laurel-Jones County Public Library System, Inc. · Laurel, Mississippi
Laurel-Jones County Library
Founded in 1919 as the Laurel Library Association and relocated to a 24,000-square-foot home on Commerce Street in 1979, the Laurel-Jones County Library traces its roots to the lumber-boom era that made this city the self-proclaimed 'Wood Products Capital of the World.' Today it is a full-service community hub with a Makerspace (including 3D printing), a Library of Things, free notary service, and one of Mississippi's most thorough genealogy departments.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–6pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–6pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–5pm |
| Thursday | 9am–5pm |
| Friday | 9am–2pm |
| Saturday | 9am–1pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 530 Commerce Street, Laurel, MS 39440
Phone: (601) 428-4313
Website: laurel.lib.ms.us
Plus Code: 863GMVR8+WX (Laurel, MS)
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👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Laurel-Jones County Library
The Laurel-Jones County Public Library System, Inc. (LJCL) was established in 1919 as the Laurel Library Association. In 1923 it relocated to the Lauren Rogers Museum — itself a testament to Laurel's early-20th-century prosperity from a lumber industry that once produced more board feet daily than anywhere else on earth. In 1966 the library became free to all, dropping its subscription model, and in 1979 it moved into its current 24,000-square-foot home at 530 Commerce Street in Laurel's historic downtown. Laurel is a second county seat of Jones County, set among Mississippi's longleaf pine country about 90 miles southeast of Jackson; its Laurel Central Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1987, is described as 'Mississippi's largest, finest, and most intact collection of early 20th-century architecture.' The library's Genealogy Department holds roughly 4,000 family files and history books, census records spanning 1820–1940, and microfilm of the Laurel Leader-Call from 1902 to 2012. A Makerspace with a 3D printer, a Library of Things with power tools and science kits, sensory hours, fine-free Thursdays, and a mobile 'LOTTIE' Library Trolley round out a modern, community-rooted institution.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Founded 1919 as the Laurel Library Association — one of Mississippi's earliest public library organizations, free to all since 1966
- Genealogy Department holds ~4,000 family files, Mississippi census records 1820–1940, and microfilm of the Laurel Leader-Call from 1902 to 2012
- Makerspace with 3D printer plus Library of Things including power tools, digital microscopes, telescopes, robotics kits & sewing machine
- Free notary public service available Mon–Fri 10 am–4 pm ($2 per transaction, call ahead: 601-428-4313)
- Located in Laurel's National Register Historic District — the city whose lumber-boom architecture is described as Mississippi's finest intact early-20th-century collection
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
LJCL cardholders can borrow, stream & research digitally through the library's online collections:
📚 Services
- Genealogy Department with family files, census records & microfilm newspapers (staffed hours Wed–Fri, Sat by appt)
- Free notary public service Mon–Fri 10 am–4 pm ($2/transaction, call ahead)
- Makerspace including 3D printer (workshop sessions scheduled)
- Library of Things — power drills, hotspots, digital microscope, telescopes, robotics kits, sewing machine, board games & more
- Sensory Hours for special-needs patrons (Fridays 10 am–noon at Laurel branch)
- Public computers, printing, scanning & free Wi-Fi; mobile printing via cloud upload
- LOTTIE the Library Trolley — mobile outreach service
🎸 Programs
- Baby + Me (weekly infant/toddler storytime, Tuesday & Thursday)
- Storytime (weekly children's story & craft, Tuesday & Thursday)
- Fine-Free Thursday (overdue fines waived on returned books)
- Checkmates Chess Social & Cube Corner (Saturday mornings)
- Pokemon Go Walking Club (Saturday mornings downtown)
- Makerspace workshops including 3D printer sessions
- Junk Journaling and other craft programs
- Summer reading for all ages
📍 Nearby Libraries in South-Central Mississippi
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Laurel · Browse all Mississippi libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How old is the Laurel-Jones County Library and how did it start?
The library was founded in 1919 as the Laurel Library Association, born during the height of the city's lumber boom. It moved to the Lauren Rogers Museum in 1923, became a fully free public library in 1966, and relocated to its current 24,000-square-foot home at 530 Commerce Street in 1979.
Does the library offer notary public services?
Yes. Free notary service is available Monday through Friday, 10 am to 4 pm, at a cost of $2 per transaction (up to $5 per visit). Call (601) 428-4313 in advance to confirm notary availability; service is subject to notary availability and is not available within one hour of closing.
What is available in the Genealogy Department?
The Genealogy Department holds approximately 4,000 family files and history books, Mississippi census records from 1820 to 1940, and microfilm of the Laurel Leader-Call newspaper from 1902 to 2012. It is staffed on Wednesdays 1–4:30 pm, Thursdays 9 am–4:30 pm (closed noon–1 pm), Fridays 9 am–1 pm, and Saturdays by appointment.
What can I borrow from the Library of Things?
The Library of Things includes power drills, Wi-Fi hotspots, sensory kits, digital microscopes, telescopes, beginner robotics and computer programming kits, a sewing machine, a lap loom, board games, card games, and jigsaw puzzles. Items must be checked out at the main desk and are not available through interlibrary loan.
📋 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 a makerspace / 3D printing. See how library makerspaces and 3D printing work and find other libraries with a makerspace makerspaces by state.
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