Our History

Our History

The Marysville Public Library had its beginning in 1867, when a group of enterprising businessmen formed the Marysville Literary and Library Association. In 1868 the organization was incorporated. The library continued to serve the community until 1895 when they closed the library doors due to lack of funding.

In 1897 the Women’s Parliament began the work of reorganizing the Marysville Literary and Library Association. The library collection was housed in two rooms in City Hall until the administration of the Library was passed to the Marysville School District, and the Carnegie Library Building was built in 1910. The Carnegie Library Building was the home of the Marysville Main Public Library on South Court Street until 1988.

Meanwhile, in the village of Raymond in 1923, the Raymond Public Library was started by the Country Culture Club. The library was located in private homes and small shops through the years with book donations from the entire community. In 1938 the library’s administration passed to the Raymond School Board and it began receiving aid from the State of Ohio. By 1940 the Farmers Cooperative Creamery Building was donated for a library. Additions to this original structure were made through the hard work and donations of the citizens of the Raymond area and the building still serves its community.

The Raymond School and Raymond Public Library were annexed by the Marysville School District in 1964, and the Raymond Public Library became the Raymond Branch of the Marysville Public Library. The board members from both libraries were asked to resign, and a new board was formed, with people from both communities.

The Main Library moved into the present location at 231 South Plum Street in Marysville in 1988. In the years of operation at this location, it has more than doubled in circulation and has kept current with new library technology. In October of 2000 the Marysville Public Library System joined the Central Library Consortium (CLC), sharing collections with Grandview Heights, Plain City, Fairfield County, Pickerington, Pickaway County and Wagnall’s Memorial in Lithopolis. More recently, many of the Franklin County libraries have joined, including Columbus Metropolitan Libraries, Worthington Libraries, Southwest Public Libraries, Upper Arlington Public Libraries, and Bexley Public Library. The CLC gives Marysville Public Library patrons access to over 5 million items.