Our History

Our history begins in 1910 when letters to the editor, meetings, and editorials all voiced support for a Library establishment. Our first location opened in 1919 with two rooms at the Y.M.C.A., then the Northeast corner of 10th Street and 4th Avenue South. Our first librarians were A. N. Filmer, L. McIndoe, and Arthur Frayne. In 1920 Hazel Bletcher was appointed Librarian. At a cost of $26,996, the Carnegie Library opened in what is now the Southern Alberta Art Gallery. The Carnegie Library had a Children’s Library, Adult Library, and Lecture Room. From 1956-1974 we had a North Branch Library service and from 1961-1974 we had a South Lethbridge Branch Library service. Both of these services ended in 1974 because our new location, the Main Branch, opened on 5th Avenue and 9th Street. We introduced a new service, the Bookmobile, in 1985. There was a lot of construction in 1992 when we expanded the Main Branch and formed the Chinook Arch Regional Library System. Our newest building, The Crossings Branch opened on August 30, 2010 on the westside of Lethbridge.