History

Take a walk through history with us.

• 1890 First public library in Delaware, Ohio grows from a women’s reading club.
• 1897 Women’s club begins to expand library service to the community.
• 1904 Construction of new building at 101 N Sandusky St begins with a gift of $25,000 by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.
• 1951 The library officially becomes the Delaware County District Library system.
• 1984 The library moves to current E Winter St location.
• 1990 $4.5 million bond issue passed by Delaware voters to expand the Delaware branch and construct Powell and Ostrander branch libraries.
• 1991 Ostrander Branch Library opens to the public on Wednesday, July 3.
• 1992 Renovated Delaware Main Library opens to the public.
• 1993 Powell Branch Library opens to the public.
• 2004 Delaware expands public space on the first floor and relocates administrative offices to the second floor.
• 2009 Delaware County voters pass a levy that allows for extending hours at all branches, increasing materials in the collection, improving technology, and building a new 33,000 square foot branch in Orange Township.
• 2011 Orange Branch Library opens to the public.
• 2018 Delaware County voters pass a 15-year renewal of the library’s 1-mill levy.
• 2023 Liberty Branch Library opens to the public.