The history of Narva Central Library dates back to 1897, when the Narva Free Library and Reading Room was opened. The initiative to establish the library came from a group of liberal Russian intellectuals in Narva, led by V. I. Nadporozhsky.
The Narva City Government provided premises for the library in the Town Hall and allocated 50 roubles per year for the purchase of books. An additional 25 roubles was to be provided by the Yamburg County Zemstvo. The library was free for everyone to use – a service that was not even available in Tallinn at the time.
As funds for purchasing books were limited, every opportunity was used to raise money. Lotteries, charity evenings, and other fundraising events were organised. Thanks to these efforts and donations from local residents, the library's collection grew rapidly. In its first year, the library held 635 volumes; by 1905, the collection had grown to 3,734 volumes. At the beginning of the 20th century, Narva Library had the largest collection of Russian-language books in Estonia.
The first librarian of Narva's public library was Aleksandra Nadporozhskaya, a trained educator. She worked at the library without pay, although the City Government did provide her with a free pass to the local skating rink. Her dedication to librarianship is also reflected in the fact that in 1911, she was one of only six library professionals from Estonia to attend the First All-Russian Library Congress in St. Petersburg.
It is known that during the 1930s, the library was located on the third floor of the Stock Exchange building. In 1932, its collection consisted of 16,419 items, including 15,102 in Russian, 494 in Estonian, 386 in German, and materials in other languages.
After 1944, the city library was located on Kommunaaride Street (now Vestervalli Street). In 1945, its collection consisted of 650 books, available to 472 registered readers.
From 1948 to 1985, the lending department of Narva City Library operated in a small, single-storey, stove-heated building located on the site of the present library. Due to a severe lack of space, the Children's Department operated in the premises of the Pioneer Palace in the Town Hall, while the Acquisitions Department was located in a dormitory on Pushkin Street. For many years, the library was headed by Lidia Joselevich.
Before moving to its new building in 1987, the library had a collection of 75,041 items and served 4,838 registered readers.
The present building of Narva Central Library holds a special place in the history of Estonian librarianship: it was the first building in Estonia after the Second World War to be specifically designed and constructed as a municipal library.
Narva Central Library opened its doors in the new building on 23 December 1987.
