The Cherokee Public Library was established in 1886 by a group of twelve women and officially opened its doors in 1898.  In January of 1903, the City received confirmation of a $10,000 grant from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation with an additional $2,000 being granted the next year.  The building was dedicated in April, 1905, and still houses the library.  The interior has been remodeled, but the facade is original, allowing the library to be placed on the national Register of Historic Sites in 1986.  A two floor addition to the rear of the building was completed in October, 1998.  an interesting feature of the addition is the enclosure of the "bowstring" west wall as an interior wall.

The Library has changed greatly in the one hundred plus years since it was established.  The collection now includes videos and audios as well as books, magazines, newspapers, and large print.  Nineteen computers are available for public use, sixteen of which are connected to the internet.  Anyone under the age of 18 must have a parental permission form on file in order to access the internet.  All computers are subject to the rules of the Internet Policy and the Patron Behavior Policy.

An automated catalog and circulation system was completed in August of 2001.  At this time the library's catalog is not available by remote access.