History
History of the Temple Public Library
- 1900: The Temple Public Library opened to the public in the Temple Post Office, only to be later moved to the Harvey and Lucas Bookstore in October of that year.
- 1901: Andrew Carnegie donated $10,000 to the City of Temple for the construction of a permanent library building.
- 1904: The Library officially opened in the Carnegie building.
- 1918: The Carnegie building and Temple Public Library burned to the ground.
- The Library remained closed for 6 years. Afterwards, it bounced around various buildings in the downtown district of Temple.
- 1953: The Library became a City Department.
- 1963: The City held a bond election for $100,000 to renovate the Old Post Office in order to move the Library there.
- 1964: The Carnegie Library Association contributed additional funds to renovate the Old Post Office, and the Library was relocated.
- 1965: The Friends of the Temple Public Library formed with 265 members.
- 1993: The Temple Public Library Foundation acquired a spacious building and renovation funds from the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation.
- 1995: The City entered into a lease contract with the Foundation of Temple Public Library to provide a space for the Library at the Leona B. Carpenter Foundation.
- 1997: The Library acquired more and more space within the building at 100 W. Adams Ave. and today oversees three floors for Library use and one floor of rental office spaces.
- 1998: The Library received a bookmobile, which is still in use to this day.
- 1998: The City and the Foundation amended the contract for the Library in order to make arrangements for sharing the cost of constructing an acrylic skylight to serve as an atrium.
- 2000: The City and the Foundation amended the contract for the Library in order to share costs for ADA/TABA improvements throughout the building.
- 2010: The Library interior was remodeled thanks to a generous $100,000 donation from the Friends of the Library.
- 2016: Library Atrium roofing remodeled.
- 2018: New flooring installed throughout the building, including basement flooring, McLane Room carpet, and 2nd floor carpet.
- 2020: The Library elevators were remodeled and modernized.