Mission
The Watauga Public Library is committed to enriching the community through full access to informational, educational, cultural, recreational, and lifelong learning materials in a variety of formats. The Library anticipates and responds to the library needs of the community and offers a variety of programs and services in a professional, efficient, caring, and friendly manner.
Vision
The Watauga Public Library shares a vision of the nation’s founders that liberty and learning are inseparable and that a democratic people must have free, open, and equal access to information.
Origin
The Watauga Public Library opened its doors to the public for the first time in October 1983. The library, which was located in City Hall, was approximately 676 square feet in size and started with a collection of 1,826 books. On September 24, 1990, the library moved into a new 15,000 square foot facility located north of the City Hall.
Expansion
In 2007, the Library was expanded, which brought it to a total of 20,413 square feet. There are two large and four small study rooms and a meeting room to provide quiet areas for study or meetings. A hallmark feature of the library is a woodland mural painted by nationally known local muralist and children’s book illustrator Liz Bonham.
Collection Statistics
At the present time the library houses over 118,000 items and subscribes to 93 print magazines and newspapers as well as 3,904 digital magazines.