The district began as a town library comprised primarily of donated books in 1905. The building underwent a $434,000 renovation to remove
asbestos and interior updates in 1987. In 1994, the district conducted a study on whether to consolidate with either the city of
Buena Park, become a dependent district of Buena Park, or merge with the
Orange County Public Library. The study concluded that the potential consolidation options should be dismissed and the district should remain independent. During the
1994 Orange County bankruptcy, a quarter of the district's budget was frozen due to being in the county's bankrupt investment pool. Trustees alleged the library director withheld financial information and filed a complaint with the
Orange County Grand Jury. Sometime between 2005 and 2023, and following
Orange County LAFCO's 2005 Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence Study, the boundaries of the district changed to remove portions that were in the cities of
Anaheim,
Fullerton, and
La Palma, each of which either have their own city library or are part of the county system. The boundaries were also expanded to include portions of the city of Buena Park which were not previously included within the district. In 2020, the library discontinued the use of overdue fines. == Governance ==