Sainte-Jay (which was previously kept at the sacristy of the Conventual Church of St. John), and books donated by members of the Order.

The building was built on the site of the Conservatoria, where gold and silver bullion of the Order's treasury were stored.

It was eventually inaugurated on 4 June 1812 by Civil Commissioner Sir Hildebrand Oakes, and it became known as the Malta Public Library.

[2] The library building was designed by the Polish-Italian architect Stefano Ittar, and it is an early example of neoclassical architecture in Malta.

[7] Evidence shows that while Stefano was the main architect, his son Sebastiano Ittar continued the design after his father died before finalizing the work.