It was founded in 1859 when local resident John Green donated his personal library to the city for public use.

"[8] On December 8, 1872, the Free Public Library opened on Sundays, which was a momentous enough occasion to be recorded in The Worcester Book.

The branches, Greendale (later renamed Frances Perkins), Quinsigamond, and South Worcester, were all established with the help of grants from Andrew Carnegie.

[5] Throughout the 20th century, three other branches, including Billings Square, Tatnuck, and Main South were constructed, but all six of these libraries closed in 1990 (Frances Perkins reopened in 1992).

[15] The Talking Book Library also offers a unique Dial-A-Story service that allows patrons to call and listen to recorded content from any phone.