Mt. Shasta Library was built at its present location in 1969 with the combined efforts of the Rotary Club and the community of Mt. Shasta. In 1989, Rotary again took the lead along with the City of Mt. Shasta and doubled the size of the building. Prior to its present location, the library was housed in the Mount Shasta Community Hospital, and then in the upstairs room of the old city hall, currently the city’s police department.
The Friends of the Mt. Shasta Library was organized more than 75 years ago with the purpose of enhancement of the basic services provided to the Mount Shasta Branch Library by the Siskiyou County Public Library system. The Friends incorporated as a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization in 2004.
In 2010, when support by Siskiyou County was curtailed, the Friends supplied most of the funding and the volunteer personnel to keep the library open. In 2011, the citizens of the City of Mt. Shasta passed a tax revenue measure to provide secure funding for the library’s operation. In 2012, the Friends of the Mt. Shasta Library contracted with the City to provide the management of the library operations. The Friends chose to not re-apply for the management responsibility at the end of their contract in June 2016, and returned to their traditional role as volunteer support of the library service.
In June 2023, the Friends of the Mt. Shasta Library volunteered to function as interim management pending the City’s selection of a contractor for those services.
The Library has thrived with significant increases in all areas of patron attendance, circulation, programs and children’s activities. The City of Mt. Shasta is planning an expansion to double the size of the building to serve all these demands. The Friends of the Library are dedicating the majority of their resources and future fundraising to help furnish, equip and landscape the expanded building.