In 1912, an endowment of $6,000 from Andrew Carnegie made possible the creation of the Bristol Public Library. Four years earlier, the newly organized Bristol Library Association, headed and promoted by retired Judge Norman A. Gilbert, had established a subscription book service at the Congregational Church in Bristolville with books loaned from the state library. The Bristol Board of Education appointed a six-member Library Board of Trustees, and a one mill levy provided financial support. Charles C. Thayer and Son designed the building in accordance with Carnegie's recommendations and the local trustees' suggestions. After Judge Gilbert's unexpected death in November 1911, Board Secretary Dr. Edward Brinkerhoff was elected president to complete the vision of Judge N. A. and Mrs. Anna Gilbert for the library. The library opened March 10, 1913, and a postcard campaign encouraged donations of books. Many local family heirlooms, curios, and relics became the basis for a local history museum collection. Gertrude Gardner, the first librarian, served from 1914 to 1940. In 1989, earmarked funds and savings paid for expansion of the library, with Baker, Bednar & Associates as architects for the addition. During its first century, the collection grew from 1,500 books to more than 90,000 print materials and multimedia resources. As a school district library, it provides services to the Bristol Local School District, whose facilities have been located nearby since 1917. It is one of three Carnegie libraries in Trumbull County and one of 111 in Ohio.