The lending of books in Quincy began in 1870 when a group of local village ladies formed a Literary Society. The Society circulated approximately 400 books from private homes until 1890. The Ladies Library Association was organized in 1898. Supervised by Mrs. Fred, a schoolteacher, it began with 50 books and grew to more than 1000 volumes.
The Library as we know it today came into existence because C. W. Bennett chose to donate his entire estate to founding the Quincy Library. The land and the money were given to Quincy Township, and the building was erected in memory of his son. Unlike steel tycoon, Andrew Carnegie, who also offered to build a library in Quincy, Bennett's only restriction was that his name not be on the building.
A permanent board was elected in 1909. The six-members were Alfred L. Brown, Hiram Bennett, W. H. Lockerby, Chisholm McKay, Lyman Peebles, and Melvin Segur. Currently the library continues under the guidance of a six-member board appointed by the township.
The Quincy Library building was constructed in 1910. All businesses in Quincy, as a gesture of respect to Mr. Bennett, were asked to close for the November 1910 dedication of the library. The local newspaper printed the names of all businesses that did not close for the event.
In 1947, Quincy Township entered into a contract with the Branch County Library agreeing to become the Quincy Branch of the Branch County Library System. In 1991, the Branch County Library merged with the Coldwater Public Library to become the Branch District Library System. The service area of the Quincy Library includes Allen Township in Hillsdale County, which is part of the Quincy School District, as well as all of Branch County.
The library is still owned and maintained by Quincy Township. Restoration has been ongoing over the years. The year 2000 brought about the installation of an elevator and renovated restrooms, followed by new shelving, windows, and lighting installed in the entire library. Most recently, extensive roof work, reconstruction of the front steps, and interior wall repair have been completed.
The local community is very supportive of the library and it has become the source of great public pride. The Quincy Public Library is a registered Michigan Historic Site.
