The first movement for a public library in San Angelo began in 1902 with the organization of the San Angelo Woman’s Club. By 1904, members of this club had collected 500 volumes of history, biography and reference. The books were housed in the rear of the old Wingfield Drug Store, which was destroyed by fire only a few years later.

On January 15, 1921, Mrs. W. M. Whitfield and Mrs. E. S. Noble presented a proposal to County Judge Charlie Paul for a county library. The second public library was opened on May 18, 1921, stocked with 325 donated volumes. It was located on the second floor of the First National Bank Building. Volunteers operated the library and kept it open two days a week.

Believing that all parts of Tom Green County should receive the benefits to be derived from books, the Woman’s Club conceived the idea of a county federation of women’s clubs, which would help to crystallize public opinion in favor of the library movement. The organization of the Tom Green County Federation of Women’s Clubs was completed March 25, 1925, and was termed “the direct cause of the Tom Green County Library coming into being.” Pressed by Tom Green County Federation of Women’s Clubs, the county commissioners provided space in the basement of the new courthouse and the library formally opened September 3, 1929.

Ground was broken in formal ceremonies in December 1937 for a new Tom Green County Library building. Mrs. Sol Mayer, who gave $35,000.00 to finance the construction, turned the first spade of soil on the lot east of the City Hall, which opened its doors in 1938.

Library supporters began calling for installation of a bookmobile service as soon as the new library was dedicated. In October of 1939, a commercial trailer was purchased and equipped as a traveling library. The trailer was a gift of the Massie Foundation. The Massie Memorial Traveling Library made its initial run in November 1939. The bookmobile program completed 68 successful years of service to the Concho Valley.

Groundbreaking ceremonies for the new children’s wing of the library were held August 15, 1956. Mr. Sol Mayer donated funds for construction of the wing. The two-story building opened May 9, 1957, and almost doubled the floor space of the library.

By 1979 the central library had run out of space. When the Sears, Roebuck department store moved from downtown to the new Sunset Mall that year, the county purchased the three-story building for use as a library and county office facility. Appropriate renovations were made and the library moved into its new quarters on the main floor of the Judge Edd B. Keyes Building at 113 West Beauregard in April 1981. The former library building was traded to the city in exchange for rural ambulance and fire service, and currently houses the Public Health Department.

The Tom Green County Library System currently owns 312,737 volumes of which 244,220 volumes are housed in the Main Library. The system now circulates over 600,000 volumes and this continues to grow.

Keeping up with technology, the library system has had an automated catalog since 1992, and it provides free access to the Internet at all three library locations. Library Director Larry Justiss and staff members continuously strive to provide the best books and the best information services possible to the children and adults of Tom Green County.

Paralleling the development of the main library, the library has created two branches which serve an additional 100,000 people annually. The Southwest Branch is on Vista Del Arroyo and the North Branch is on North Chadbourne Street.

The Tom Green County Library is governed by the County Commissioners Court under the State Law authorizing County Libraries. The Commissioners Court authorizes an advisory board known as the Tom Green County Library Board with the stated purpose to foster and promote the development of library service in Tom Green County, to aid in any movement designed to promote state and national library service, and to provide for an interchange of ideas and experience among board members at quarterly meetings.