In 1891, the Bellevue Library Association was formed by a group of local citizens, who wanted to open a reading room. This reading room collection was moved from place to place until 1904, when a permanent location was created. The Carnegie-Stahl Library was opened on August 10th, 1904, at its current location on East Main Street. With a $12,600 gift from Andrew Carnegie, along with almost $7,000 from a soliciting committee, the building was able to be constructed. The initial collection was made possible by a $5,000 donation from H.C. Stahl for books. 

Through the years, renovations have taken place with additions to the building. In the 1940’s the large fireplace was covered, as well as a library garden being planted by the Bellevue Garden Club. Then, in 1987 an addition was built to the rear of the building along with a new side entrance. 

The most expansive renovation took place in 2014, with an expansion from 14,000 SF to 16,500 SF. Additional parking was added and areas in the building were made ADA compliant, such as the entrance. These most recent changes have brought the building up to standards both with physical and technological features.