Quitman library offers computers, printing and digital services
Downtown Quitman's library gives residents computers, printing, scanning and online access, making basic job, school and business tasks easier without leaving town.
The Clarke County–Quitman Public Library is one of the county’s most practical public spaces because it handles the small but essential jobs that keep daily life moving. At 116 Water Street in Quitman, the branch gives people a place to get online, print forms, copy documents, fax paperwork, scan records and use office tools that are not always available at home.
The schedule is built around weekday needs. The library is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Wednesday from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., giving workers, commuters and students a window to stop in before or after school and work. Patrons can also reach the branch by its local phone number at 601-776-2492.
The building itself is set up to function like a neighborhood utility center. Along with public access computers and wireless internet, the branch offers printing, copying, faxing, digital scanning, a microfilm viewer and reader, lamination, a meeting room and 3D printing services. That mix matters in a county seat where a resident might need one place to finish a job application, scan tax paperwork, print a school form or prepare a document for a small business.
Staff who keep the branch running
The library’s local operation is anchored by a named staff team. Matt Gully serves as director, Beth Sisson as business manager, Dawn Hollingsworth as cataloger, and Barbara O’Neil and Roxanne Rich are listed as librarians. Those roles matter because the library is not just a room full of equipment, it is a staffed service point where people can get help finding materials, handling accounts and using the technology on site.
That presence is especially important in a county where the library often fills the gap between home internet access and the demands of everyday life. A resident might know how to search the web, but still need a scanner, a printer, a fax machine or guidance on a library account. The branch keeps all of that under one roof in downtown Quitman.
Books, accounts and summer reading
The library’s digital services extend well beyond the computers in the main room. Through the East Mississippi Regional Library System’s online catalog, patrons can log in to view checked-out items, place holds, renew materials and manage their accounts. The system also supports eBooks and other online resources through the regional network, which makes the branch a gateway to both physical and digital collections.
Access starts with a library card number and PIN, which lets users manage their accounts without waiting at the desk. For families, the branch is also tied to summer reading programming. The regional system directs patrons to contact the Quitman Public Library directly for summer reading information, making the local branch the first stop for youth reading and learning activities.
The city of Quitman says the library’s technology includes 1 gigabyte-speed computers and a 3D printer that Quitman High School entrepreneurial students use. The same city information points to free programs on web development, online sales and marketing for local businesses, showing that the branch also serves people who are trying to build skills that can support work or start a business.
Why this matters in a small county
Clarke County had 15,615 residents in the 2020 census, and Quitman had 2,061, which means many public services have to work on a small-town scale. Census QuickFacts show that 82.2% of Clarke County households had a broadband subscription in 2020-2024, but that still leaves a meaningful share of households that may depend on a public place for reliable internet, devices and printing.
That is where the library’s regional role becomes visible. The East Mississippi Regional Library System serves Clarke and Jasper counties as a two-county system and says it circulates 47,857 items a year. Its headquarters moved to the Quitman Public Library after two years as a demonstration project, and they remain there today, which makes the downtown branch the system’s administrative anchor as well as a service point for the public.
Governance is local and public as well. The East Mississippi Regional Library Board of Trustees represents the interests of Clarke and Jasper counties with a ten-member board that meets quarterly in public. That structure ties the library to county residents in a direct way, while broader funding streams help keep the service running. The Mississippi Library Commission says library services are partially funded under the federal Library Services and Technology Act, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services identifies the Grants to States program as the largest source of federal funding support for library services in the country.
A central place in the county seat
Quitman’s civic location adds to the library’s role. The city sits by the Chickasawhay River and near Clarkco State Park and Archusa Water Park, placing the county seat at a crossroads of local life, recreation and public service. In that setting, the library is not a side amenity. It is part of the everyday infrastructure that helps residents stay connected, complete tasks and use the county seat as a working center for school, business and public access.
This article was produced by Prism’s automated news system from verified source data, official records, and press releases, then run through automated quality and moderation checks before publishing. The system is built and supervised by the people who set the standards it runs under. Read our full AI policy.
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