Athens County Public Libraries is a network of seven library buildings. Administrative offices and central processing facilities are located at the Nelsonville Public Library. The system began in 1935 as an extension service of the Nelsonville school district. Throughout Athens County, the library maintains a collection of about 320,000 items, adding 25,000 new items every year while weeding out old materials that contain outdated information. The Library also maintains subscriptions to about 130 different magazines and newspapers.