The library began on Dec. 14, 1929 as a collection of books housed in the basement of the City Hall. In 1945 a referendum was held to establish the library as a village library, which became part of the annual village levy. The books were moved to a 900 square foot room on a ground floor in the rear of the City Hall. This was the library's home for 35 years.

Over Christmas holidays 1980, a small group of volunteers moved the library to a 9,000 square foot space in the high school. This space was shared with the high school library. Books were inter-filed and the room was open to the public, even during school hours. In November 1981 the library was converted to a district library that included all of Lemont Township.

Lemont Public Library District was located in Lemont Township High School for sixteen years. The passage of a referendum in March 1996 gave the library district the necessary funds to build a separate facility at 50 E. Wend St. In November 1997 over 200 volunteers organized by Boy Scout Ryan Porter moved the library books to the new building. The new library, which has 22,000 square feet, opened to the public on November 12, 1997.