A grant of £10,000 from Andrew Carnegie enabled the construction of a purpose-built building.

[3] The Scott and Campbell partnership had been formed in 1899 and although they won competitions their first designs that were built included St Stephens UF Church in Comely Bank[4] and Hawick Library.

The building opened in 1904 and the town's celebration included a day's holiday.

[3] The library was extended in 1939 with a reading room whose stilts created a carport.

[3] In 2016 the local council agreed to transfer the running of its libraries including Hawick to a trust with an estimated saving of £400,000.