History:
The village of Collinsville had a circulating library as early as 1838. It was known as the Collinsville Library Association and was a mutual organization formed to buy books and to pass them around among the members. There were 94 names signed to the roll, and the first minutes of a meeting show that it was held February 11, 1838. The officers elected were: president, Reuben Hills; librarian, Chester Weed; committee to select books, Chester Weed, Samuel Weed, Giles Brainard and Thomas H. Welles. A committee on damage to books was named and the names were: David B. Hale, Benjamin T. Wingate and Simeon Woodruff. Members contributed one and two dollars each. It is not known where this library was located, but it is presumed to be in the first Collins Company office building which is now a residence at the corner of River and North Streets having been moved there to make way for the present office building. It was one of the first buildings built by Sam Collins after he started the Collins Company in 1826. After the official office building was built in 1867, it also housed a library, school rooms, a post office, as well as Collins Hall which was available to the public for church services, meetings and the like. At some point the Collinsville Library Association became the Canton Public Library Association, Inc.
