Cambria County Public Library's History
A public library was established in Johnstown in 1870. In 1892, the library moved to a new Carnegie Building where it remained for the next 79 years.
In September 1971, Cambria County Library moved to its present location in the newly constructed David A. Glosser Memorial Library Building. The building was badly damaged in the July 1977 flood, with damage to the building, book collection, furniture and equipment totaling approximately 1.1 million dollars. Repairs to the building were completed and the library reopened in May 1978.
In 1983, a Library Services and Construction Act [LSCA] grant was received for the construction of a third floor addition to the library. A fund-raising campaign supplemented the grant and realized more than $20,000 in pledges toward the project. The third floor was completed in December 1984 and an opening ceremony was held in March 1985 and was attended by various officials.
In 1989 the library began preparations for automating the circulation and technical services processes and for creating an automated catalog. Monies were obtained both from grants and through a fund drive campaign, and the automation system went live in January 1993.
Through the 1990's the library began gradually adding computers for public Internet access, and in 1999 received nearly 30 public Internet access computers through a partnership with the Greater Johnstown School District. The library also partnered with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2002 to add 4 public Internet access computers and an eleven-computer lab.
Cambria County Library serves in several capacities. It is considered the home library for all Johnstown residents and all other residents of Cambria County who live in areas without a local library. It is the headquarters of the Cambria County Library System and also the District Library Center of the Johnstown District, which encompasses Cambria, Indiana and Somerset Counties.