Kings County's first library was a public reading room, established in Hanford in 1891. Books were donated by the citizens of Hanford and funds were raised by sponsoring socials and concerts. In 1902, the Library Trustees met with the City Trustees to propose making an application to Andrew Carnegie for funds to build a new library. The city agreed to procure the land for the building and to provide an annual budget of $1,500. (See: Hanford Daily Journal, 19 September 1902) The application was successful, and the reading room was replaced in February 1906 when the city library was opened--built with a gift of $12,500 from Andrew Carnegie. Designed in the Romanesque style, this building served as the public library until 1968. The building still stands, and after a renovation in 1974 became the local museum. Today, the Kings County Library system is comprised of seven branches: Armona, Avenal, Corcoran, Hanford, Kettleman City, Lemoore, and Stratford. Each branch is dedicated to serving the individual needs of its community.
