In 1930 the original Fairmount Public Library moved into the ground floor of a house on 205 South Main Street, with the upper floor as the librarian's apartment. This building served the needs of the town through most of its history.
However, the house has deteriorated over time. The upstairs apartment is now no longer suitable for any use but storage. And the space of the four ground-floor rooms is no longer enough for the services that a modern library should provide to its community.
After considering several locations, the Library's Board of Trustees decided upon property next door, where there was a small private car museum and a laundromat, which could be converted into a single building with plenty of space.
The board applied to the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs for a grant to purchase the buildings and land, and to renovate the buildings into a new library. The grant was awarded on December 2007. Renovation began the following spring and was completed in August 2008.
The new library reopened on 3 November 2008 and had its grand opening on Sunday, 23 November 2008. The old library is now officially an annex, to be used for meetings and for genealogical research.
With the new building the library now has more room for bookstacks, and expansion room for more books. It also allows for a separate teen section, and a larger reference area. There is a separate alcove as well for the library's computer terminals.
The new library has a more spacious children's area separate from the rest of the library. Children's activities such as the summer reading program can be held without disturbing the rest of the library.
The new library has its own parking lot. It is also accessible to people with disabilities.
9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Monday, Wednesday and Friday
9:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m., Tuesday
9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Saturday
Closed Thursdays and Sundays.