Originally started in the early 1900s, The Rose Memorial Library in Georgiana continues to provide history, lessons and the pure availability of reading.

The Three Arts Club of Georgiana and Chapman opened the library on Nov. 3,1927, after Thaddeus Luther Rose donated the building under the condition it would be transformed into a library, volunteer Susanna Gaston said.

“It was located next to Bryan Drug Company on the corner of West Railroad Avenue and Church Street, where Lowery Sales and Service is currently located,” Gaston said. “Today, the library is housed in the Platt house on Mill Street behind the Georgiana City Hall.”

To this day, the library houses children’s collections, yearbooks, Butler County News editions, books on tape and genealogical records.

Members of the library are looking to enhance the young-adult collection. Gaston said as for required reading for schools, the library has plenty and should be used as a resource.

“We have a lot of the classics and required reading books,” Gaston said. “We have a good many of those that they have to read in high school.”

As for expanding the library to more members in the community, Gaston said members of the library have talked to the vice principal at Georgiana School about possibly doing a field trip to the library for kindergarteners through sixth graders. She also hopes to start something like the Super Saturday that the Greenville-Butler County Public Library does.

“I’m hoping that we can have something like story time and events for children starting this summer,” Gaston said. “If we can get people coming into the library, maybe we can get some of that started.”

The library is currently open on Tuesdays from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Thursdays from 2:30-4:30 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. As for the summer month’s, AmeriCorps member Jerry Stephens has volunteered to keep the library open every day.

Even though the library does not have Internet access or computer access, Gaston said it’s still a great place to learn.

“I’ve always loved books and love to read, and I just like to spread the word about it that we have a lot of good books,” Gaston said.  “It reaches out to people in Georgiana and McKenzie who can’t get to the Greenville library. I hope we can get them in to let them know that we have books and they’re available.”