Melrose Public Library

The Melrose Public Library was founded at a Town Meeting on March 27, 1871. One end of the Selectmen’s room in the Waverly Block on Essex Street (now known as Waverly Apartments) was made available for a modest collection of books. In 1874 the library was moved to a room at the newly constructed Town Hall and in 1895, due to a need for more space, the library was relocated to the new Y.M.C.A. building on Main Street.

With the arrival of the twentieth century, the fifty year old Town of Melrose became a City – a City that had grown in half a century from 1,200 to 12,000 citizens. Aware of the urgent need for a larger library facility, Mayor John Larrabee and other citizens persuaded Andrew Carnegie to make a substantial contribution for the construction of a library building. A handsome new building, recognized as the basis for the present enlarged plant, was erected on the West Emerson Street site of the old High School, which had been destroyed by fire in 1897. The new building opened on April 15, 1904.

A growing collection of materials and increasing usage by the community necessitated the construction of an addition to the building in 1963. In 1990, thanks to the diligence and perseverance of a number of people, the library was awarded a Massachusetts Library Construction Grant which enabled major improvements to be made to the interior and exterior of the library.

With continued use and rapidly evolving technology, by 2015 the library was looking towards changes once again. Staff and community members submitted a building program plan to the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners which became the basis for a building renovation and construction grant application. The planning took into consideration feedback from patrons and staff members regarding access and usage needs, as well as systems information from DPW (for roof, HVAC, etc.). A community meeting was held in December 2016, reported on in an article by the Melrose Free Press. The application was submitted in January 2017, with the approval and support of the Board of Trustees, Mayor, and Board of Aldermen (now City Council).

In 2021, the MBLC awarded the grant, with the City Council voting unanimously to support the library project. Some key aspects included improved accessibility and a separate Teen Room. The 1963 addition was removed and replaced with a new two-story addition. The City worked collaboratively with the Friends of the Melrose Public Library and the Trustees of Melrose Public Library, aggressively pursued grant opportunities, and dedicated ARPA funding to assist in covering the funding for this important project.

In late Summer 2022 library services moved temporarily to the former Beebe School. After over two years of construction, the library re-opened on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, exactly 121 years after the original building opened.

The dedicated library staff are very excited about the ability to offer improved access outside and inside the library, restoring/preserving our historic building, and enhancing services to the community at the Melrose Public Library.

For information on our local history collection visit our Melrose Local History Room site.