As is many other small towns, public library service in Cedarville arrived through the generosity of Andrew Carnegie. Built in 1907, the Library was owned by the Cedarville College and jointly managed by the Cedarville Township Trustees and the College; the original Carnegie Library still stands on North Main Street near Cedarville University. The library's collection served both College students and the general public. In 1937, Greene County Public Library assumed management of the Cedarville Library and contributions from local citizens refurbished the building.

In 1958, the public library and college collections were separated, with the public library books moved to the first floor. By September, 1959, the public library collection had been moved to the basement of the Carnegie Library building. New quarters were needed, and construction of a new Post Office building opened up two rooms on the ground floor of the Cedarville Opera House. The Township Trustees, Citizen's Library Committee, and the Lions Club of Cedarville worked together to renovate the space by expanding into a third room in the Opera House; the remodeling project was sponsored by the Cedarville Lions and Lioness Clubs. The Library was refurbished in December 2000 in a project funded by the Greene County Public Library and the Township Trustees. This last project created the open, well-lighted space enjoyed by the community today.