Crozet Library

Crozet LibraryHours:
Monday - Tuesday: 1pm - 9pm
Wednesday - Saturday: 9am - 5pm
Sunday - Closed

Phone: 434. 823.4050
Fax: 434.823.8399
contact Crozet Library

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Crozet Library
Read about the plans for the new Crozet Library
You Can Help Us Make a Difference!
Support the Crozet Library Building Fund.

Programs for Adults

Crozet Soiree

Friendly evenings of informal conversations with guest speakers representing the arts, culture, businesses and interests of our community.

Crozet Soiree

MARTHA BOGLE: Superintendent, Shenandoah National Park

September 23, 2010
7:00 pm

soireeShenandoah National Park is celebrating its 75th Anniversary. Ms. Bogle will share stories of, and plans for, this historic and natural treasure. Ms. Bogle’s government work experience spans 30 years at twelve National Park Service sites and one National Wildlife Refuge. She has been superintendent of the Shenandoah National Park since 2008.

Crozet Soiree

soireeJODY KIELBASA: Director, Virginia Film Festival

October 21, 2010
7:00 pm

Get ready for the Virginia Film Festival with stories of the stars, films and activities that make up this educational and cultural event. Mr. Kielbasa will give us a "behind-the-scenes" advance preview of this year's fun and tell us tales of festivals past.

Crozet Soiree

SAM ABELL: My Life in Books

November 10, 2010
7:00 pm

soiree"For 40 yrs. I have been a professional photographer, primarily for National Geographic. But my real passion for photography and for books began in high school, when I was named editor & photographer for the school yearbook. Since then, there has never been a time when there hasn't been a book in my life. In words and photographs I will tell about working with writers, designers and publishers on the path to making more than a dozen books. I'll also give a first-time preview of the books I'm working on now."

Monday Evening Book Club

Meets monthly (Sept - July) on the 1st Monday of each month 7:00 to 8:30 pm. Please drop in and join us!

Want to see what we've already read? Try Searching the calendar.

Monday Evening Book Club

MIDDLEMARCHMIDDLEMARCH by George Eliot

September 13, 2010
7:00 pm

In nineteenth-century England, Dorthea Brooke's wishes to defy social conventions are inhibited by the strict nature of her surroundings.
Check the Catalogbullet

Monday Evening Book Club

LET THE GREAT WORLD SPINLET THE GREAT WORLD SPIN by Colum McCann

October 04, 2010
7:00 pm

In 1974 Manhattan, a radical young Irish monk struggles with personal demons while making his home among Bronx prostitutes, a group of mothers shares grief over their lost Vietnam soldier sons, and a young grandmother attempts to prove her worth. Check the Catalogbullet

Monday Evening Book Club

marchMARCH by Geraldine Brooks

November 01, 2010
7:00 pm

In a story inspired by the father character in "Little Women" and drawn from the journals and letters of Louisa May Alcott's father, a man leaves behind his family to serve in the Civil War and finds his beliefs challenged by his experiences. Check the catalog bullet

Future Readings:

Crozet Library 20th Birthday Celebration
“Twenty Years in the Depot”

A Branch Library

Original Crozet Library
Original Crozet Library

The possibility of a branch library for Crozet was first discussed publicly at the November 1963 meeting of the Crozet Lion’s Club; Raymond Williams, then director of the McIntire Library spoke on the subject. Williams noted in his talk that the area had been served for the previous ten years by the bookmobile.

On January 3, 1964, the Crozet Library committee was established with Roy Patterson as chairman. The purpose of the group was to establish a library until financial support could be secured through the county during the new fiscal year beginning July 1. The library opened its doors on May 6, 1964 in a small building across the street from its current location.

Looking for a Home

When, after several years, the Olive Tree building proved too small to house the growing collection, the books were moved into what is now Crozet Hardware. This site, too, had to be abandoned, however, in order to accommodate the current business when the development of Windham forced it out of its old quarters.

As a temporary measure, the library was housed in a portion of the building that now contains the Green Olive Tree, though quarters were so cramped that almost a third of the collection had to be stored off-site. The library was open 22 hours a week.

Mary Plum, previous Branch Manager, recalls,“There were boxes, carts and stacks of books everywhere that couldn’t fit on the shelves. Someone would come in looking for a particular cook book and I would say, ‘’Check that pile.’”

The Crozet Library League was organized, and worked to raise funds and bring the community’s attention to this situation.

A New Old Building

just a test
Old Railroad Depot

In 1984, the Perry Foundation purchased and restored the railroad depot, abandoned for years, as a home for the library. The new facility was opened in May of that year with festivities that included the Court Square Dancers and the Crossroads String Band. The building itself had a long history.

The railroad line serving Crozet was opened in the 1850s. Originally known as the Virginia Central Railroad, this line pushed from Gordonsville west into the Shenadoah Valley through a tunnel engineered by Claudius Crozet, the French engineer for whom the town is named. In 1858, the first train rolled through the tunnel into the valley.

The first wooden frame depot was built to serve nearby Miller School, and Crozet grew up around it, encouraged by the region’s flourishing fruit industry. Plans were drawn for a new brick depot as early as 1916, but World War I delayed the start of construction. The building now occupied by the library was built in 1923 at a cost of $16,000.

The Library Today

New Children's Furniture
Public Internet Terminals

When the automated catalog and record-keeping system was installed in 1987, circulation doubled. The growth of the community and library business continued apace. Presently, the Crozet branch has a staff of five: three full-time and two part-time employees, circulates about 10,000 items each month, and is open for 48 hours each week.



Looking Toward the Future

Since the library is the fourth busiest branch of the JMRL system, and the Crozet area has experienced rapid growth, more space is needed for the Crozet Library to serve its population. Once again, the library will be on the move to a new home. (see above)