Constructed on the site of the Governors’ residence during the Spanish occupation of Gibraltar,[1] the library was officially opened in 1804 by the Duke of Kent.

[2] The library served as the headquarters and archive service of the Gibraltar Chronicle, the world's second oldest English language newspaper.

It has remained a private entity run by a Trust for over two hundred years[3] up until, September 2011, at which point the Library was transferred to the Government of Gibraltar.

In 2006 the editorial offices of the Gibraltar Chronicle moved to new premises in Watergate House, and the print works relocated in 2007 to New Harbours.

[5] The dragon tree in the library's front garden is thought to date from the Spanish occupation when the plant was introduced to Gibraltar by mariners who brought the seeds from the Canary Islands.