Following the First World War, members of the Alliston Branch of the Women’s Institute (WI) announced their interest in building a memorial library. The Alliston WI was constituted in June 1914 and had played a leading role in the local war effort through accomplishing what many within the community deemed impossible. Their resolve was often viewed by others as courageous.
In the fall of 1919, the WI opened a small library in temporary quarters on the second floor of a general store while reiterating their commitment to erect a permanent library building as a lasting memorial to Alliston’s fallen soldiers. As a show of support, a private citizen offered them a centrally located site at a reduced rate for the new building.
Despite a lack of municipal support, the women held steadfast in their belief that the town must remember the Alliston boys. Buoyed by their reputation of tenacity and driven by their continuing commitment to the boys, the women of the WI proceeded to fund-raise over the next three years.
During that time, the WI learned of a funding source available from Andrew Carnegie who was funding library construction throughout the United States and Canada. Grants from his foundation came with two provisos: building plans were to conform to designs approved by the Carnegie Foundation and any building erected under the grant program was to be known as a Carnegie Library. The WI members voiced serious concerns that the mandatory design would appear too grandiose and that any name without "memorial” defeated their original purpose. Despite their need for financial assistance, they announced that Alliston’s library was not to be a Carnegie Institute but a small building of chaste design, the outstanding feature of which would be a perpetuation of the memory of the boys of Alliston and District whose lives had been sacrificed overseas during the great war.
Alliston Memorial Library was officially opened at 17 Victoria Street East on February 14, 1924. As reported in the February 21 Alliston Herald, several hundred onlookers applauded as Alliston’s famous native son and First World War Veteran Dr. F.G. Banting inserted a golden key in the lock, turned the key, pulled open the door and announced that "it gives me very real pleasure to declare this memorial library open and ready for use. ”
By the 1970s, the aging building was unable to adequately serve the growing population. In August 1978, the WI regretfully sold the library to the Town. Unsuitable for renovation, the original structure was demolished and a new and expanded library opened on site in 1982. Alliston Memorial Library continues to serve the public as a lasting memorial to the boys.
