This building was the fifth to house the Palmerston North Municipal Library, and the second to be built specifically as a library. The City Council approved the plans for the multi-purpose project in July 1963 and building was completed November 1965. Sir Bernard Fergusson, the Governor-General, officially opened the building. The library originally occupied 30,000 feet of a total floor area of 52,133, with the remaining area let as commercial space. In 1970 they occupied a further 2,000 square feet. The building was out grown in the 1990s and a new library was opened in a former department store across The Square. This building is now let to commerical tenants.