Library History

Sherwood Public Library began as a dedicated shelf of books in the local drugstore in 1935. The collection was later moved to a rented house. By 1969, the City of Sherwood elected to support the Library and it was moved to the basement of the Morback House, a historic building which also served as City Hall.

In 1976, Sherwood Public Library became a founding member of the new Washington County Cooperative Library Services network of libraries that brought library services to urban and rural residents of the county. The local Friends of the Sherwood Library group also formed in 1976 and began fundraising for a dedicated library building. Thanks to their efforts, combined with matching Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) funds, a 3,000 square foot building was built in 1986.

Today, Sherwood Public Library is on the first floor of a joint-use building with City Hall, which opened in December 2005, funded primarily through Urban Renewal funds and sales of city-owned properties, along with local fundraising. The building was designed by Thomas Hacker Architects, featuring 14,000 square feet of space on the first floor, a fireplace area, and vaulted ceilings.