In January of 1905 the "Coalinga Women's Improvement Club" was formed and their first order of business was to provide a reading room for the community. The ladies felt that the men needed a place to improve their minds. "(Remember - most of these men were oil workers, roust-abouts and well pullers)". This reading room would house books on loan from the Fresno County Library.

During this time the library was housed in an ice cream parlor, and then moved to a Dr.'s office where a fire in July of 1910 destroyed the library, the fire station, the opera house and 17 businesses in all.

An article in the Coalinga Oil Daily in mid 1910 indicates a major discussion in town concerning the building of a reading room or a cemetery. The library would win the argument since the town did not have a cemetery until the late 1950's.

In September of 1910 Sarah McCardle, Fresno Co. Assistant Librarian, met with the local newspaper and they agreed to temporarily house the collection. The Ladies Improvement Club was not interested in taking part again. Fresno Co. would reestablish the collection of 100 titles with 10 additional titles each month of the patron's choosing.

In February 1911 the library was moved from the newspaper office to Farrar & Blaze cash grocery store. At this time Coalinga requested a set of encyclopedias and Miss McCardle responded that Fresno had two sets and she thought one might be sent over.

In July 1911 the library was again moved - this time to the new Soda Grill. Miss McCardle again arrived on the 9:20 train and spent the day moving books into the new location.

In June 1912 members of the Coalinga library committee attended the Fresno Co. Board of Supervisors meeting with the request that Coalinga be allowed to withdraw from the Co. System and establish their own library district. Fresno Co. officials voiced the only objections heard by the Board of Supervisors. The cost to the local taxpayers would be three cents on $100 of assessed value. This tax levy would be much less than it would be if taxed with the balance of the county. Permission was given and on June 24, 1912 an election was held. With a vote of 526 to 1 the formation of the Coalinga Union School District Library District was a reality and would serve the same boundaries as the School District and would have the same Board of Trustees.

A lot at the corner of 4th. and D streets was purchased. It included a small stucco house which would serve as the library until such time as a new building could be built. This would continue to be the location of all future Coalinga library buildings.

In September 1913 plans and specifications were submitted to the Carnegie Foundation, who had allocated $20,000 for the Coalinga library. The library was built at a cost of $14,000 and the balance was used for furnishings. It was very unusual to have a surplus of funding.

In 1913 a substation was established In the oil fields at Shell Camp with 512 books. At the offset of the war in1941, this substation was closed when Shell Oil Co. closed the camp and moved its offices into Coalinga.

On October 29, 1914 the New Carnegie Llbrary was formally opened.

In 1950 a branch library was opened in the city of Huron in a small school building that was moved from Coalinga to Huron for this purpose. In 1970 a new 2,354 sq. ft. branch library was built and furnished for the community of Huron.

In 1954 enough money had been put in reserve to dispose of the now "old Carnegie" building and build a new facility on the same site. Prior to the building phase an agreement was reached with the Coalinga schools system and the library moved into the high school library facility and provided service to the schools and the public.

In September 1955 the facility was opened to the residents of Coalinga at a cost of $185,000. Bricks from the original Carnegie building were used for planters and the main wall in the community meeting room.

In March 1994 a new adult services area of 2,600 sq. ft. was completed in compliance with the American Disability Act of 1991. The present facility was refurbished during this building process. This new area is complete with computers for public use, computer materials, genealogy materials, American Indian materials, Californiana, and general reference. Locked glass cases were also included in this area for the housing of the library special collection.

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