Marshall Public Library has been an accredited member of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) since 1971.  The library was established as a department of the City of Marshall in December 1969 to “meet the recreational and educational needs of the residents of the City of Marshall”. Today, the library is dedicated to initiating and providing quality library service and free access to information to citizens of the City of Marshall and other citizens of Harrison County .

The Marshall Public Library is open to the public six days a week for a total of 55 hours per week. In addition to its public service functions, the library spends at least half its staff hours on library tasks other than directly waiting on customers. The library’s overarching goal for 2008 is to integrate library services with City of Marshall and community agencies’ initiatives and programs.

The staff consists of 3 professional positions: Director and Reference Librarian (both with MLS degrees) and Youth Services Manager. Paraprofessional positions include Cataloger, Circulation Supervisor, Public Services Assistant, Secretary, and Technology Specialist for a total staff of 8.0 FTE.

Statistics for 2006 show that over 90,000 people visited the library. Close to 70,000 books, videos/DVDs, and books on cassettes/CDs were checked out. Over 16,000 individuals accessed the Internet or used Microsoft Office programs. An average of 200 people received new library cards each month, and 2,000 children participated in storytimes or visited the library as part of school or group tours.