A community celebration of Gritters Library Saturday afternoon featured library staff and neighbors sharing memories of their experiences at Gritters, a special storytime, a balloon drop, and children making gingerbread houses inspired by the nearly 50 year old facility. June 17 was the last day of service for the Gritters Library facility as a new library will be built at the site over approximately the next year.

Located in Shaw Park off Canton Road in northeast Cobb, Gritters Library will be replaced by a new library and community center. The new facility will include space for the county PARKS department, CobbWorks workforce development programs, and community meetings.

Gritters Library opened on November 19, 1973. The Library System calculates the Gritters service area now has a population of more than 62,000 people within a three-mile radius. Within a five-mile radius are five elementary, four middle, and two high schools.

The new space will be welcomed by the community. According to a scrapbook of Gritters Library history circulated at the celebration, an early 1970s article by a Cobb library official said the original Gritters was designed to serve a community of 25,000.

During the rebuild of the new Gritters Library, the Mountain View Regional Library will serve as the go-to location for Gritters patrons. Mountain View Library is located at 3320 Sandy Plains Road, Marietta 30066, south of the Shallowford Road intersection.

For information on Cobb County Public Library resources and services, visit cobbcat.org.