The county's first library began as a Free Reading Room in 1895 in West Palm Beach's first church, the Union Congregational Church, when Reverend Asbury Caldwell began collecting books for a reading club he hoped would keep construction workers out of the city's many drinking establishments located along First Street, or "Thirst Street" as it was known. The reading club floundered when Caldwell left West Palm Beach, but in 1899, the West Palm Beach Public Library got its official start, housed in a two-story former Palm Beach Yacht Club building donated by Commodore Charles John Clarke, a Palm Beach yachtsman, with the collection of books from the Reading Room and a $100 donation from Henry Flagler. A permanent building was constructed in 1924 in Flagler Park along the Intracoastal Waterway. Two additional buildings have also housed the library – one at 100 Clematis Street, a state-of-art building complete with a 250-seat auditorium that opened to much fanfare in 1964. The second, located at 411 Clematis Street, is a four-story building in the West Palm Beach City Center complex, which houses both city hall and the library, is two and one-half times the size of the previous building. In 2012, the West Palm Beach Public Library Foundation formally changed its name to the Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach after receiving a $5 million grant from the Mandel Foundation.
the county's first library began as a free reading room in 1895 in west palm beach's first church the union congregational church when reverend asbury caldwell began collecting books for a reading club he hoped would keep construction workers out of the city's many drinking establishments located along first street or "thirst street" as it was known the reading club floundered when caldwell left west palm beach but in 1899 the west palm beach public library got its official start housed in a two-story former palm beach yacht club building donated by commodore charles john clarke a palm beach yachtsman with the collection of books from the reading room and a $100 donation from henry flagler a permanent building was constructed in 1924 in flagler park along the intracoastal waterway two additional buildings have also housed the library – one at 100 clematis street a state-of-art building complete with a 250-seat auditorium that opened to much fanfare in 1964 the second located at 411 clematis street is a four-story building in the west palm beach city center complex which houses both city hall and the library is two and one-half times the size of the previous building in 2012 the west palm beach public library foundation formally changed its name to the mandel public library of west palm beach after receiving a $5 million grant from the mandel foundation