The mission of the Cedar Springs Public Library is to provide quality materials and services to educate, inform, teach, and partner with our diverse community in an atmosphere that is welcoming and promotes lifelong learning.

The Cedar Springs Public Library has a long and interesting history dating back to 1881 when the Ladies’ Library Association was organized. This group, comprised of ladies living in the then Village of Cedar Springs, set about to establish a library of sixty volumes and to annually add to that number of volumes.

They set up house in the Congregational Church located at the corner of Beech and Second Streets. When that building sold, the library was re-established in the tower of the church and the first librarian was hired.

In 1936 the town began planning for a public library and a Library Association was formed. Membership dues were 25 cents. The library found a new home in the office of The Clipper building whose owners, Grace Hamilton and Nina Babcock, donated the use of the rooms and lighting. A potbelly stove provided heat for the library which housed only a few books. Enterprising community members took advantage of the State Library in Lansing which allowed 200 books to be borrowed every 90 days. Eventually the variety of the books also increased as the County Bookmobile began arriving every week.

Bakes sales, dinners, ice cream socials, box lunch parties and plays were used over the ensuing years to help raise money for books. Finally, in 1941 the town fathers gave permission for the library to be housed at the old jail. The town fathers approved a tax levy of one-half mill that same year and as the village began to grow so did the coffers of the library.

On July 1, 1975, the Cedar Springs Public Library was officially organized under Michigan Public Act 164 of 1877 establishing the governing Library Board. In 1985, a formal contract for library services was forged between the City of Cedar Springs and neighboring Solon Township. Finally, in 1999, the agreement included the expansion of the Library Board to seven members, providing the Township with the authority to appoint three library board members.

On May 13, 2017, the Library had their Grand Opening celebrating its current location at the corner of N. Main and W. Maple.  The Library was built from the ground up thanks to generous donors and donated products and services from the community and local businesses.

Today, the Cedar Springs Public Library is a place where the community gathers for knowledge, entertainment, and enrichment for everyone residing in Cedar Springs, Solon Township, and the surrounding area.  

Library Establishment Information