The forerunner of our Public Library system was the Mechanics Institute, which originated in Great Britain and gradually spread through the colonies. Very few of our early pioneers had an opportunity for a formal education, as children were often forced by economic circumstances to leave school at an early age. Beginning in the 1830's, the Mechanics Institutes became popular in Canada because they offered a form of adult education by providing evening classes, a reading room and circulating library, lectures, exhibitions, concerts, and plays.

   The Mechanics Institute in Newmarket was first organized in December, 1856. Officers were elected and an application was sent to the Ontario Legislature for a Charter of Incorporation. This new organization held its meetings in the Court House, sometimes called the Town Hall, situated on the north side of Timothy Street. In 1860, the Mechanics Institute Hall was erected adjacent to the Grammar School on Lot Street (now Millard Avenue.) The Newmarket Mechanics Institute quickly became an effective force in the community. It offered classes in practical subjects such as business bookkeeping, arithmetic, writing, and art. Local talent was developed through monthly musical and literary productions.

   Each incorporated Mechanics Institute received a small grant from the Department of Agriculture until 1880. However, they had to depend mainly upon their own resources to raise funds for operating expenses from membership fees, concerts, lectures and exhibitions, as well as rental fees to municipal organizations.

   In 1880, all Mechanics Institutes were transferred from the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Education. In 1882, the Province of Ontario passed the Free Libraries Act. This act permitted each municipality to raise funds for the Institute by public taxation, after local ratepayers approved the establishment of a Free Library in a plebiscite. In 1885, Newmarket was reported to have 828 volumes in it's library and 35 paid-up library members.

   In 1895, the Ontario Legislature passed another act making obsolete all Mechanics Institutes and stating that they should henceforth be known as Public Libraries. Each Public Library was to be under the control of a Board appointed by the Town Council of the municipality.

   Newmarket's library was in a number of downtown locations over the years. In 1891, the library was located over Atkinson's jewellery store, and in 1894 arrangements were made to transfer the library over Griffith's shoe store. In 1896, the reading room and library were almost closed because of financial difficulties and declining public interest.

   In 1901, Newmarket Public Library had a membership of 134, and in November of that year the Board rented the premises at the corner of Main Street and Park Avenue (the site of the present clock tower building.) In 1904, a referendum was held and the ratepayers approved that Newmarket should have a free library, open to all citizens.

   In 1912, the Library was moved from the corner of Main and Park to the old Cawthra Bank Building, at the corner of Main and Water Streets. In 1922, the library was transferred to the second floor of the Dr. Wesley block at the northwest corner of Main and Botsford Streets. Here it remained until 1956 when it was moved to a new building on Park Avenue, which had just been completed with the help of a bequest in the will of the late Edgar Bogart. Newmarket Public Library was officially opened at this location on Saturday, June 9, 1956.

   In 1974, a portable building was added to the south side of the building, and remained in use until 1978 when plans for the first library expansion and renovation were initiated. In 1978, the library facility grew from 5,500 square feet to 18,000 square feet.

   During the 1980's it became necessary to investigate further expansion options, as Newmarket's library building was at capacity. Several designs, ranging from new locations to expansions, were considered. An addition and renovation costing approximately 3.1 million dollars was approved by the Town Council in June, 1994. Capital costs in the amount of $550,000 for furnishings and equipment, and $412,000 for new books and materials were also allocated.

   In June of 1995 the library was moved to a temporary warehouse site on Mulock Drive, and thus was able to continue to provide library services to the public during the construction period. In February of 1996 the library took possession of the 35,000 square feet renovated building, with the grand opening September 28, 1996.

   Attractive and spacious, the new library has grown to hold a collection of approximately 175,000 volumes of various categories, for children and adults. The audio visual department currently has a voluminous collection of video/audio cassettes, DVD's, and CD's. The library also serves the community with internet access, a computer for word processing, and educational CD-ROM's. Other features include short-term parking in the lots on either side of the building, and two rooms suitable for public/group rentals.

   In 2004, Newmarket Public Library celebrated its 100th Anniversary as a free public library.