In 1892, the Pavlodar municipal council established a city library and reading room, initially in a private home.

Donations from merchant Artemy Ivanovich Derov and other patrons of the city raised funds for the library's maintenance.

Until 1996, the regional library was located in five buildings scattered around the city, and not enough places for a single reading room.

As part of the celebration of its 100th anniversary, the library was moved to the site of the current building, located at the corner of the intersection of Satpayev and Kairbayev streets, near the akimat of Pavlodar.

The regional library was also renamed after the Kazakh poet, Sultanmahmut Toraygirov.