Library History
A brief history of each branch is provided here.
Library service in Dickinson County dates back to the 1870s, when a library was attached to the Pioneer School in Quinnesec. In 1901, Andrew Carnegie offered a grant to establish and erect a public library in Iron Mountain. The Carnegie grant was accompanied by a stipulation that the municipality assumes responsibility for the library’s continuing operation. The Carnegie Library was opened in 1902. In 1961, the Dickinson County Library was developed to provide library service to all residents of the county. In 1969, the Main Library building located at 401 Iron Mountain Street in Iron Mountain was open to the public.
The Norway Reading Room was the beginning of early library service in November 1933, located in the Fredeen Building on Main Street in Norway. The City of Norway then established a library in the City Hall in February 1934. Following the passage of the county-wide millage in 1961, the Norway Branch Library was moved from City Hall to next door to the Coast to Coast building. It was destroyed by fire in February 1977. Planning for the new building started immediately. The City of Norway offered two lots on the corner of US 2 and Section Street, which had been willed to the city by Ellen and Lillian Solomonson. The new facility, named the Solomonson Branch Library-Norway, opened for service at its current location on April 10, 1978.
In January 2004, the North Dickinson Branch opened. The Branch is located in a room leased from the North Dickinson School in Felch and provides residents in northern Dickinson County full library service.