In 1873, fifteen prominent women of Garner organized the Ladies Library Association. Starting out with a fund of $60.00, they accumulated 200 volumes. In 1882, they erected a building to contain the Library and for other purposes at the cost of $500. On January 14, 1911, the Ladies Library Association closed their account and officially turned the library over to the city of Garner.

In 1914, the library board began looking into building a bigger library and with funds from the Carnegie Corporation constructed a building in 1915. As the town grew, so did the library, adding new materials and formats as they became available. In 1965,a separate children’s room was created in the basement.

By 1977, the library was running out of room and the community voted to build a new facility. The next building was finished in 1978. All one level and boasting a meeting room, the new building included office space for staff, comfortable chairs for reading and relaxation for adults, and even prominent space for the vinyl record collection.

The latest renovation and expansion of the library opened to the public in January of 2017.In addition to upgrading the building’s systems for more efficiency, the building also now has a teen area, expanded children’s area, a lounge area with fireplace, an updated community room with a full kitchen, a drive-up book drop, an outdoor patio, and free wireless Internet access throughout the building and grounds.