- 1820s: A free library was organized by local Quakers.[1]: 122
- 1855: Aurora Association for the Diffusion of Helpful Knowledge formed, later called the Aurora Mechanics Institute and Library Association. The association provided weekly lectures and concerts rather than lending books.
- 1863: The library had a collection of 500 books and was open for two hours each Friday.
- 1868: The association built The Mechanics Hallis built at the southeast corner of Mosley and Victoria Streets. It was used for lectures and concerts but also as a library reading room.
- 1895: A Public Library Association was formed with a Board of Management appointed by the Town Council.
- 1920: The library assets were absorbed into a Municipal Public Library under the Free Public Libraries Act and the library moved to the Town Hall on the northeast corner of Yonge and Mosley Streets.
- 1926: A children's section was added to the library, but children were only allowed on Saturday afternoons.
- 1945: The library moved to Health Hall, now called Victoria Hall, on the southwest corner of Mosley and Victoria Streets.
- 1963: The library moved to a new dedicated building of 4,500 square feet (420 m2) at 56 Victoria Street as part of Aurora's centennial.
- 1967: The collection size was 14,900 and there were 5,236 members.
- 1979 A 13,000-square-foot (1,200 m2) extension was finished, designed to serve a population of 20,000.
- 2001 The library moved to its current location, a 44,375-square-foot (4,122.6 m2) facility on the northeast corner of Yonge and Church Streets.
In 2018, work began on a renovation project to create a multi-purpose room and a creative studio, to update the children's area, to improve lighting, and to create a new seating and new living room-style area.[2]
On 11 April 2020, the library laid off 28 of its 33 employees as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.[3]
