The history of the Central Library of Saint Lucia dates back to 1888, when the first attempt to establish a library service was made. St. Lucia was offered a Carnegie grant as early as 1904, but a grant was not awarded until 1916. The library building was completed in 1924 and opened on December 1, 1924. It was funded through a collaboration of the Carnegie Trust and the Castries Town Board.
In 1941, under the Eastern Caribbean Library Scheme the library reorganised its services. The goals were as follows:
1. The provision of a free library service
2. The maintenance of approved library standards
3. Rural extension to provide library facilities for the whole island
4. A children’s service
A fire in 1948 gutted the building and destroyed 20,000 books. The building was rebuilt within the existing walls, and was reopened in 1950 as the the Central Library of Saint Lucia. The Central library will be celebration 100 years in 2024.