Watauga Public Library

The Watauga Public Library opened its doors to the public for the first time in October 1983. The library, which was located in the Municipal Complex, was approximately 676 square feet in size and started with a book collection of 1,826. On September 24, 1990, the library moved into a new 15,000 square foot facility located north of the Municipal Complex.

The expansion completed in 2007 brings the library to a total of 20,413 square feet. The additional shelving space allows for further growth of the collection to meet the needs of the public. There are two large and four small study rooms and a meeting room to provide quiet areas for study or meetings. A feature of the library is a woodland mural painted by nationally known local muralist and children's book illustrator Liz Bonham.

At the present time the library houses over 84,839 items and subscribes to over 160 magazines and newspapers. The number of materials circulated last year was 477,618 and 199,686 people used the library.

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.