Seven trustees, including women and businessmen, were elected, and the library was opened May 24, 1902, in a room of the G.A.R. Hall. Later the library was moved to more comfortable quarters on the second floor of the First National Bank building.

In 1910, a need to reorganize was apparent, so the board of trustees and women of the Priscilla Art Club conceived the idea of applying to the Carnegie Foundation for a city library building. Five thousand dollars was given to the city by the Andrew Carnegie Foundation for this goal. C.S. Cochran, Plainville philanthropist, donated lots for the brick structure which was turned over to the city in August of 1912.

In February 1979, Jim and Mary Donovan donated a quarter section of land to the library, with the vision of a new library being constructed with the proceeds from the sale of the land. Several attempts were made to begin the project, but for various reasons the attempts were not completed. In August of 1983, Chuck Comeau approached the board with the idea of selling working interests to an oil well to be drilled on the Donovan land. All of this money would go toward the construction of the new library, as all services for the actual drilling were donated. The quarter section was sold with the library retaining mineral rights which still provide a small income to the library.

With the new building came a name change to the Plainville Memorial Library. At this time, the library took on a new direction, being open longer hours, monthly displays by local groups, sack and see program, after school viewing and added another story time group. All of these services have been widely used by local residents.