After librarian Mary Dean's death in 1898, friends set about fulfilling her dream of a free public library.
Other groups donated more books, the Village of Painesville (which became a city in 1902) agreed to provide tax funds, and local businessman Jesse Healy Morley bought the land and erected the building.
In November 2001, Morley Library's bond issue of $11.59 million was passed in a general election.
Morley Library has a special collection to help those interested in researching their family genealogy and local Painesville history.
Morley Library also subscribes to a number of Internet-based resources for genealogy and local history research.