On August 26, 1848, the Chardon Public Library was organized at the meeting of interested persons at the Geauga County Courthouse. John French, County Recorder, was nominated by meeting attendants to act as the Library’s first librarian. The Library’s collection, consisting of donated materials, were housed in the Geauga County Recorder’s Office and were made available as an association library with membership fees. It continued to grow throughout the 19th century, requiring larger and larger accommodations. By 1913, the collection had grown so large that it transformed into as a village library, housed in the Village Hall, complete with its own board of trustees. The Village Council established the legal status of the Library in 1929 by adopting it as a municipal institution. In 1936, the Library received intangible taxes for the first time and began offering services to the county’s various schools.

Extended services were established throughout Geauga County during the succeeding years. These advancements included the creation of a Middlefield Public Library in 1942 and a Chesterland Public Library in 1957. Library services to the Chesterland community began ~10 years prior, however, thanks to Mary Eykyn and her dedication to the Library. Starting in the late 1940s, Eykyn delivered library materials to the township’s children at the Chester Summer Day Camp using a modified baby buggy outfitted with bookshelves that could hold up to 100 books, all borrowed from the Chardon Public Library. Although the Library’s official bookmobile began decades later, Eykyn’s services closely resembles the Library’s modern bookmobile services.

At the request of the Library’s board of trustees in 1963, Chardon Public Library, Middlefield Public Library, and Chester Public Library were combined to create a county district library to be referred to as Geauga County Public Library. This included the creation of a new seven-member Library board of trustees.

The Library quickly grew, expanding its services to the Bainbridge and Chagrin Falls communities with the establishment of its Bainbridge Branch in 1965. This was followed by a location change for the Chardon Branch, which moved to its present location on the Chardon Square in 1970. It grew once more in 1979 with the creation of the Thompson Library Station, which operated within Ledgemont High School.

In 1991, the Bainbridge Branch and the Chagrin Valley Herb Society formed a partnership, creating a herb garden for learning and enjoyment. It received regional recognition in herb and horticultural circles. The Friends of the Geauga West established a reading garden in the front of this branch in 2005. This was quickly followed by the Middlefield Branch’s READ Garden in 2008, which was paid for in part by the East Geauga and Bookmobile Friends of the Library associations. One year later, the East Geauga Friends of the Library donated a bronze sculpture to be placed at the entrance to the Middlefield Branch.

The Library experienced flat funding from the State throughout the late 1990s and into the new century, which led to a return to the polls for a replacement levy in 2007. Bainbridge and Geauga West Branches received interior face-lifts thanks to a 2007 LSCA – Trading Spaces grant, which were completed one year later. More cuts to State funding occurred in 2009, leading to reductions in services and staff. After gathering community input at public forums, a new continuing 1 mill levy was approved by the voters in 2010. This resulted in the restoration of services and staffing lost two years earlier. In addition, a capital project plan was established, allowing the Library to begin to address a backlog of maintenance issues and projects. This also included the purchasing of Bainbridge property in 2013, which was done in anticipation of providing much-needed space for the undersized Bainbridge Branch.

Around this time, the Library began to build out its eContect collection. This included subscribing to various services to offer eBooks, audiobooks, digital magazines, movies. television shows, comics, and graphic novels. Staff members received in-depth training, which was used teach patrons how to download and use digital materials on their devices at home and on the go.

2013 marked Geauga County Public Library’s 50th anniversary. The Library celebrated this milestone with unique programs, a county-wide celebration on the Chardon Square, and major system-wide marketing plan.

To address the growing genealogy and local history needs of the Geauga community, the Library expanded and renovated the Chardon Branch’s Anderson Allyn Genealogy and Local History Room in 2014. These improvements were made to address the needs of its users, as well as to accommodate the many new tools and collection formats used by researchers. Funding for this project was provided by a generous donation to the Geauga County Library Foundation from the Anderson Allyn estate.

In 2017, Geauga County voters passed a $24 million bond issue to improve Geauga County Public Library facilities. These funds were used to renovate the Library’s Geauga West and Middlefield Branches, as well as build new facilities in the Bainbridge and Thompson communities. Funds were also set aside for future updates to the Chardon Branch, whether it be further building renovations or the construction of a new facility.

The Library updated in strategic plan and mission in 2018. This included the adoption of the Library’s new tagline, “Engage, Connect, Inspire.”

On August 26, 1848, the Chardon Public Library was organized at the meeting of interested persons at the Geauga County Courthouse. John French, County Recorder, was nominated by meeting attendants to act as the Library’s first librarian. The Library’s collection, consisting of donated materials, were housed in the Geauga County Recorder’s Office and were made available as an association library with membership fees. It continued to grow throughout the 19th century, requiring larger and larger accommodations. By 1913, the collection had grown so large that it transformed into as a village library, housed in the Village Hall, complete with its own board of trustees. The Village Council established the legal status of the Library in 1929 by adopting it as a municipal institution. In 1936, the Library received intangible taxes for the first time and began offering services to the county’s various schools.

Extended services were established throughout Geauga County during the succeeding years. These advancements included the creation of a Middlefield Public Library in 1942 and a Chesterland Public Library in 1957. Library services to the Chesterland community began ~10 years prior, however, thanks to Mary Eykyn and her dedication to the Library. Starting in the late 1940s, Eykyn delivered library materials to the township’s children at the Chester Summer Day Camp using a modified baby buggy outfitted with bookshelves that could hold up to 100 books, all borrowed from the Chardon Public Library. Although the Library’s official bookmobile began decades later, Eykyn’s services closely resembles the Library’s modern bookmobile services.

At the request of the Library’s board of trustees in 1963, Chardon Public Library, Middlefield Public Library, and Chester Public Library were combined to create a county district library to be referred to as Geauga County Public Library. This included the creation of a new seven-member Library board of trustees.

The Library quickly grew, expanding its services to the Bainbridge and Chagrin Falls communities with the establishment of its Bainbridge Branch in 1965. This was followed by a location change for the Chardon Branch, which moved to its present location on the Chardon Square in 1970. It grew once more in 1979 with the creation of the Thompson Library Station, which operated within Ledgemont High School.

In 1991, the Bainbridge Branch and the Chagrin Valley Herb Society formed a partnership, creating a herb garden for learning and enjoyment. It received regional recognition in herb and horticultural circles. The Friends of the Geauga West established a reading garden in the front of this branch in 2005. This was quickly followed by the Middlefield Branch’s READ Garden in 2008, which was paid for in part by the East Geauga and Bookmobile Friends of the Library associations. One year later, the East Geauga Friends of the Library donated a bronze sculpture to be placed at the entrance to the Middlefield Branch.

The Library experienced flat funding from the State throughout the late 1990s and into the new century, which led to a return to the polls for a replacement levy in 2007. Bainbridge and Geauga West Branches received interior face-lifts thanks to a 2007 LSCA – Trading Spaces grant, which were completed one year later. More cuts to State funding occurred in 2009, leading to reductions in services and staff. After gathering community input at public forums, a new continuing 1 mill levy was approved by the voters in 2010. This resulted in the restoration of services and staffing lost two years earlier. In addition, a capital project plan was established, allowing the Library to begin to address a backlog of maintenance issues and projects. This also included the purchasing of Bainbridge property in 2013, which was done in anticipation of providing much-needed space for the undersized Bainbridge Branch.

Around this time, the Library began to build out its eContect collection. This included subscribing to various services to offer eBooks, audiobooks, digital magazines, movies. television shows, comics, and graphic novels. Staff members received in-depth training, which was used teach patrons how to download and use digital materials on their devices at home and on the go.

2013 marked Geauga County Public Library’s 50th anniversary. The Library celebrated this milestone with unique programs, a county-wide celebration on the Chardon Square, and major system-wide marketing plan.

To address the growing genealogy and local history needs of the Geauga community, the Library expanded and renovated the Chardon Branch’s Anderson Allyn Genealogy and Local History Room in 2014. These improvements were made to address the needs of its users, as well as to accommodate the many new tools and collection formats used by researchers. Funding for this project was provided by a generous donation to the Geauga County Library Foundation from the Anderson Allyn estate.

In 2017, Geauga County voters passed a $24 million bond issue to improve Geauga County Public Library facilities. These funds were used to renovate the Library’s Geauga West and Middlefield Branches, as well as build new facilities in the Bainbridge and Thompson communities. Funds were also set aside for future updates to the Chardon Branch, whether it be further building renovations or the construction of a new facility.

The Library updated in strategic plan and mission in 2018. This included the adoption of the Library’s new tagline, “Engage, Connect, Inspire.”