Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach, West Palm Beach

The Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach, formerly the West Palm Beach Public Library, is a cornerstone of knowledge, culture, and community in the vibrant heart of West Palm Beach, Florida. Relocated in April 2009 to a sprawling City Center facility, 2.5 times larger than its predecessor, it serves the public with distinction, circulating over 803,608 items to 106,664 cardholders in the 2015 fiscal year and welcoming 551,674 visitors, solidifying its role as a hub for information and community engagement.

Founded in 1895 as a Free Reading Room within the Union Congregational Church, this library is the oldest public library in Palm Beach County. Reverend Asbury Caldwell's vision for a reading club to divert construction workers from local drinking establishments led to its establishment. Officially founded in 1899, it found a home in a former Palm Beach Yacht Club building, donated by Commodore Charles John Clarke, supported by the Reading Room collection and a $100 donation from Henry Flagler.

Despite the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane's adversity, which caused significant damage, the Memorial Library continued serving West Palm Beach until spring 1962. In that pivotal year, a new city library designed by architect Norman Robson was unveiled, marking a modern, colorful era. It was designed to meet evolving community needs.

In a philanthropic milestone, the Mandel Foundation granted $5 million to the West Palm Beach Library Foundation on February 21, 2012, propelling the institution into a new era. As a testament to this generosity, the West Palm Beach Public Library was renamed the Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach.