Kent Library

History of the Kent Library

The Kent Library was born seventy-six years ago on August 23, 1920. Located in a room of the Red Cross Community house, this first library was comprised of donations, and the staff members were volunteers. On December 22, 1922, the Library moved into a room in the Kent City Hall at Second and Grove. City funds supported the library. The first salaried librarian, Anna Fisher, was hired in 1926 and held that position until 1950.

On October 5, 1959, the city contracted with the King County Library System for staff and materials. A new 4,200 square foot library, co-owned by the City and KCLS, was planned for the corner of Fourth and Titus. One house needed to be removed from the site, and it was burned to the ground by the Kent Fire Department for firefighting practice on April 22, 1959.