Winona Public Library

The Winona Public Library is the public library serving Winona, Minnesota, United States. It is a member of Southeastern Libraries Cooperating, a Minnesota library region. Housed in an 1899 Neoclassical building, the Winona Public Library was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 for having local significance in architecture and education. It is Minnesota's oldest library to continuously operate in a purpose-built facility.
Library services in Winona originated in 1857 when a local group formed the Winona Lyceum, a membership-based library funded by dues. The group changed its name to the Young Men's Library Association in 1863, and by 1870 had grown to 268 members and 1,670 books. However the library association had to close in 1875 due to debts. Two years later three local women cleared the debt and reorganized the library under a new name, the Winona Library Association. On March 22, 1886, the association donated its collection of 3,500 books to Winona, forming the city's first free public library.

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