About
Library Staff
Ashley Norris
Director
Alison Mason
Circulation Librarian and Adult Programming
Mandi Wheat
Children’s Librarian
Dennis Sells
Bookmobile Librarian and Genealogy Specialist
Becky Radford
Circulation Assistant
Sandy Hieneman
Circulation Assistant
Resources
Books for children, juveniles, young adults, and adults including large print
Magazines & Local and state newspapers
DVDs & Audiobooks
Free paperbacks and magazines
Fax & Copy Services are Available
Public computers and free Wi-Fi
Library Hours
Monday – Friday
8:30 am – 4:50 pm
Saturday
8:30 am – 11:50 am
Mission Statement
The mission of the Cumberland County Public Library is to provide quality programs and services that fulfill the educational, informational, cultural, and recreational needs of the entire community in an atmosphere that is welcoming, respectful, and professional.
Programs
Card Club
Wednesdays @ 1:00 p.m.
Bridge Club
Thursdays @ 1:00 p.m.
Story Time
Fridays @ 10:00 a.m.
Bookies Book Club
3rd Monday @ 1:00 p.m.
Crafter’s Club
Date Varies
Library Board meetings are held 2nd Thursday of each month at 3:00 PM CST.
2024-2025 Board Members
Pattie Polston Bryant
Pamala Davis
Angela Morrison
Jill Price
Eva Breedlove
History
1938 to Present
The Cumberland County Public Library was founded in 1938 as a WPA library. Before opening its current location on Hill Street in October 1967, the Library housed its collection in the courthouse’s basement. The land for the new location, which was deeded from Mr. W. Less McComas, was formerly the site of the phone company switchboard (operated by Effie and Cecil Garrett who worked out of the parlor of their home) and was adjacent to Fred and Geneva Lewis’ Barber Shop. Construction for the library was made possible by State money that was then matched by local patrons and supporters. The first and only extensive library remodeling did not occur until 2008, more than 40 years after the initial construction.
Although the library’s grand opening in 1967 was a welcome and inevitably integral addition to the educational landscape in Cumberland County, residents were not void of library services in the preceding years. Bookmobile services began in Kentucky in 1954, following a parade of vehicles at the State Fair when Governor Lawrence Wetherby presented bookmobiles that were stocked with books to each county in Kentucky as a part of the Kentucky Bookmobile Project. Ruby D. Lee was the driver/librarian of the first bookmobile in Cumberland County.
The original board of trustees included Glee Hume, Hazel Wells, Melba Sewell, Daisy Alexander, and Helen Judd. According to the records of the public library directories from the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, the following tables illustrate all of the library directors and bookmobile drivers for the Cumberland County Public Library from 1948 until the present day. (Note: Some dates are denoted with a question mark because there is either conflicting information or clarity regarding actual start/stop dates. The information here was given according to KDLA records.)
Cumberland County Public Library Directors
1948 – Present
1948 – 1953?
1953 – 1957
1957? 1963?
1963 – 1999
1999 – 2010
2010 – 2016
2016 – 2020
2020 – Present
Nannie Wells
Eunice Hicks
Jewell Thomas
Mabel Hayden
Richard Alexander
Liza Turner
Paige D. LaGrange
Ashley C. Norris
Cumberland County Public Library Bookmobile Drivers
1954 – Present
1954 – 1957
1957? – 1962
1962 – 1996
? – 1999
1999 – 2000
2000 – 2001
2001 – 2022
2022 – Present
Ruby D. Lee
Jewell Thomas
Mary Ruth Murley
Alvin Garnder
Dianna Martin
Lida Smith
Terry Staley
Dennis Sells