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History of Jackson - Hinds Library System
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Jackson/Hinds Library System serves the City of
Jackson and Hinds County in Mississippi. Hinds County
is centrally located within the state and covers
an area of 869 square miles. The population of the
community served is 251,031.
Reorganization of the public library system was
undertaken in 1986. The new city-county system,
Jackson/Hinds Library System, was created as of
October 1, 1986 and began operation that day. The
system is funded equally by Hinds County and the
City of Jackson. The administrative board is appointed
by the members of the Hinds County Board of Supervisors
and the members of the Jackson City Council. Each
funding authority appoints seven board members,
making a total administrative board of fourteen
members.
The system began with 12 branches and in the past
twelve years has grown to 15 branches. The Eudora
Welty Main Library is located in downtown Jackson.
Welty contains the single largest collection in
the system and houses the Administrative Offices
as well as the Technical Services Department. Seven
smaller branches are located within the City of
Jackson. They are Fannie Lou Hamer/Albermarle, Margaret
Walker Alexander, Colonial Mart, Medgar Evers Boulevard,
Northside, South Hills, and White Rock .
Branches located in Hinds County are: Beverly J.
Brown/Byram, A.E. Wood/Clinton, Lois A. Flagg/Edwards,
Raymond, Ella Bess Austin/Terry, and Evelyn Taylor
Majure/Utica. Since 1986 three branches have been
opened, four have moved to larger quarters, and
one has been enlarged.
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Jackson/Hinds Library System
offers a range of materials and services to persons
of all ages. Books, videocassettes, audiocassettes,
compact discs, and multimedia kits make up the
collection of 535,121 items. Also within the library's
collection are current periodicals, microfiche
databases, magazine and newspapers on microfilm,
and CD-ROM databases. Interlibrary loan services
are offered to patrons.
Circulation for the entire system for the fiscal
year 2003 was 534,780 items. The patron count
for the fiscal year 2003 was 641,924. Patron cards
have been issued to 176,974 citizens or property
owners. The average circulation was 3.02 items
per patron with an average of 3.63 trips to the
library per patron.
In keeping with the
advances of technology the library has made
available to the public the SIRSI automated library
catalog, the Internet, Columbia Granger's
World of Poetry, and American Business Disc.
The Reference Department also has full access
to the Internet to assist in reference questions
and offers Document Delivery between the branches
via facsimile. Word processors are available
at all branches of the library system. Through
the statewide MAGNOLIA project via the Internet
other databases such as EbscoHost, CARL Novelist,
IAC First Search, Gale's Contemporary Literary
Criticism and Wilson Biographies are offered.
The Hinds County Law Library is located on the
first floor of Eudora Welty Main Library. The
Law Library consists of two computer workstations
that offer Westlaw/Premise on-line access.
Patrons also have the services of the Interlibrary
Loan Department to assist them in finding the materials
they need. Materials that are not owned by the JHLS
and are not expected to be purchased may be requested
from other libraries through this service.
The branches provide various services for the patrons.
Meeting rooms are located in some branches and are
used by the public for a variety of meetings. Programs
for all ages are presented in many of the branches
throughout the year.
The Jackson/Hinds Library System is a part of a
growing community and is striving to grow with the
community it serves.
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