The roots of the Public Library of Charlotte Mecklenburg County can be traced to 1891. In the last years of the 20th century, the library system grew to over 20 locations (including five regional libraries offering expanded services) serving people in neighborhoods and towns across the county. From a grand total of 2,526 books when the Carnegie library opened in 1903, today's library system contains over 1.5 million adult and children's classics, favorite paperbacks, modern best sellers, videos, CDs and DVDs, with over 500 employees county-wide helping to make information available to virtually anyone who wants it. As the county and region grows, the Library reaches out in traditional and new ways.