Mission:

Every citizen has a fundamental human right to have access to information, opinions, and ideas, and to the full range of society’s literary and artistic creations. The Franklin Public Library is committed to providing a friendly atmosphere for the education and pleasure of citizens of all ages in a setting that allows enjoyable utilization of these materials.

The Franklin Public Library was founded in 1849 and has had several homes, although its current location on Twelfth Street has been its home since 1921. The original structure was built in 1849 and required extensive renovations in 1921 to make it suitable for library use. A children's room was added in 1964 and another wing was added for the adult collection in 1978. Both of these additions greatly expanded the public use areas of the library.