Excerpt from northperth.ca:
The Listowel Public Library was built in 1907 with a grant of $10,000 from Andrew Carnegie. It was designed by local architect W.E. Binning, who also designed several other Ontario libraries. The stone walls and stained-glass windows have witnessed many changes over the years.
Before opening as a children's department in 1972, the basement had been home to the Women's Patriotic League, Town Council, Division Court and St. John's Ambulance. It has been a temporary shelter for men on the road during the depression, a workshop, and a place to play checkers. At one time, plans included the installation of police holding cells in the basement, but the Library Association threatened to cut off grant support if such plans proceeded.
In 1982, the boardroom/archives was added to the upstairs quarters. Then on May 27, 2000, the long awaited official opening of the restored and expanded Carnegie Library was held. The 1.2 million dollar project received one third of the needed financial support from the Canada Millennium Partnership Program and the remaining funding came from community and area organizations.
The Carnegie section of the library houses the CEO's office, a programming room, and a reading room furnished in memory of David Hay, who was a past mayor of Listowel.
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