The library began life as a free association library--the Geneva Free Library--in 1905 and has since celebrated 100 years of service to the Geneva community. The Geneva Public Library took one of its first great strides when it moved to the former 1836 Congregationalist Church in 1920 and dedicated the library as the Soldier and Sailors Memorial Library. The library added to the Soldier and Sailor's Memorial Library building in 1962 and then significantly expanded facilities in the early 1990s following its designation as the Pioneer Library System's Central library.

Since 1990, the Geneva Public Library has received additional state aid to provide collections and support to the member libraries of the Pioneer Library System, the public libraries in Ontario, Wayne, Wyoming and Livingston counties. The library was rechartered by the Board of Regents of the State of New York on February 14, 2006 and the Geneva Free Association Library was dissolved. The library board of seven members is now elected by the voters of the Geneva Public Library and increases of the library's budget must be presented to the voters.