Jefferson County Library Cooperative

The Jefferson County Library Cooperative (JCLC) is a network of public libraries across Jefferson County which provides all residents with access to the collected circulating holdings of several different municipalities with a single library card. The cooperative's offices are located at the Birmingham Central Library. The current director is Tobin Cataldo, who succeeded long-time director Patricia Ryan in December 2018.

Currently any resident of the county can receive a free library card from any member library, search a unified catalog database and have materials delivered from any library to the one closest to them. Patrons can also access several on-line resources such as educational and archival databases using their cards.

Although earlier cooperative arrangements between libraries had existed since 1924, the current no-fee system was developed by Birmingham Public Library director George Stewart in 1978. It was reorganized more formally as Birmingham Area Library Services in 1985, at the same time that the unified catalog database was unveiled. It adopted its current name in 1997.

Funding for the system has come primarily from the Jefferson County Commission, the state of Alabama, and member cities. In the wake of the Jefferson County debt crisis, the Commission is planning to end funding for the cooperative, which would result in the loss of some services.

Member Libraries

Adamsville Library, 1978- Bessemer Public Library, 1978- Birmingham Public Library system Avondale Library, 1978- Birmingham Central Library, 1978- East Ensley Library, 1978- East Lake Library, 1978- Eastwood Library, 1982-2020 Ensley Library, 1978- Five Points West Library, 1978- Inglenook Library, 1978- North Avondale Library, 1978- North Birmingham Library, 1978- Powderly Library, 1978- Pratt City Library, 1978- Slossfield Library, 1978-2013 Smithfield Library, 1978- Southside Library, 1978- Springville Road Library, 1978- Titusville Library, 1978- West End Library, 1978- Woodlawn Library, 1978- Wylam Library, 1978-

Clay Public Library, 2009- Fairfield Public Library Walter J. Hanna Public Library, Fairfield, 1978- Western Hills Mall Branch Library, 1995-2004 Fultondale Public Library, 1978- Gardendale- Martha Moore Public Library, Gardendale, 1978- Graysville Public Library, 1978- Clarence B. Hanson Library, Birmingham Museum of Art, 1978- Homewood Public Library, 1978- Hoover Public Library, 1983- Hueytown Public Library, early 1980s- Irondale Public Library, 1978- Leeds Jane Culbreth Library, 1978- Library at The Gardens, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, 1978- Midfield Public Library, 1978- Emmet O'Neal Library, Mountain Brook, 1978- Pleasant Grove Public Library, 1978- Pinson Public Library, 2011- Tarrant Public Library, early 1980s- Trussville Public Library, 1978- Vestavia Hills Public Library, 1978- Evelyn Thornton-Warrior Public Library, Warrior, 1978-

Executive directors

• Patricia Ryan, 1997-December 2018
• Tobin Cataldo, December 2018-

References

• Bouma, Katherine (September 13, 2009) "Jefferson County Library Cooperative eyes trims, fees to save basic services." The Birmingham News
• McGough, Crystal (June 23, 2011) "Pinson library accepted by Jefferson County Library Cooperative." Trussville Tribune
• Rebman, Stephanie (November 7, 2018) "Longtime JCLC leader retiring, successor named." Birmingham Business Journal

External links

• Jefferson County Library Cooperative website