The First Library in Apex
The first Apex Community Library opened in the late 1940s on South Salem Street. This library was a branch of the Richard B. Harrison Library of Raleigh. When the Harrison Library of Raleigh merged with the Olivia Raney Library in 1965, the Apex Library moved to an uptown location. At this time the town officials appointed a Library Board of Trustees to negotiate with Wake County Public Libraries for books and part of the salary for a librarian. When the railroad presented the town with its old depot, a citizen went before town officials and asked that the building be used as a library. At that time committees of volunteers were formed to involve the community in this project. Special effort was made to preserve the original character of the building. In 1972, the Apex Community Library opened as one of the finest and most attractive small libraries in the state. The library remained at the depot location until December 1995.
Miss Rachel Lewter served as librarian in Apex from the opening of the one-room library in town until 1986. After Ms. Lewter's retirement, Rebecca Carter, Linda Cooper, and Cindy McConnell all worked as branch managers at the depot location.
The Eva Perry Regional Library
In 1985, the Town of Apex received a generous gift from Mrs. Eva H. Perry. In her will Mrs. Perry instructed that the proceeds from the sale of her land go to the town to be used for the sole purpose of providing the community with a new library. The Town of Apex partnered with Wake County Public Libraries to build a regional library that serves the southwest region of the county. The Eva H. Perry Regional Library was opened in January 1996. The distinctive 23,000 square foot building provides a particularly appealing setting for library users. It has large overhead skylights, a glass-enclosed quiet reading room, an attractive conference room available for public use and a tree house for children's programming. One of the most unique features is a 1,400 square foot mural painted on the wall of the Youth Services Department depicting characters from children's literature. Terri Luke managed the library from its opening in 1996 until 2005.
