The first public city library in Borisoglebsk was opened in January 1897 in the house of the merchant Smirnov on the corner of Dvoryanskaya and Bolkhovitinskaya streets (now Sovetskaya and K. Marx). This beautiful mansion was built in the traditions of provincial architecture of Russian county towns and has been magnificently preserved to this day. One of the initiators of the creation of the first public library in the city was the father of academician E.N. Pavlovsky - Nikanor Vasilyevich Pavlovsky, who was at that time an inspector of public schools in the Borisoglebsk district. In 1885, Borisoglebsk, with more than 20 thousand residents, did not have a public library. The city's public turned to the Tambov governor with a request to open a library. Permission from him was received on October 3, 1896. In August 1896, a general meeting of city residents wishing to become readers was held. A committee and officials responsible for the creation of the library and its future work were elected. The committee faced a very difficult task: how to start organizing a library with almost no funds? Where to get money for rent for the premises, for buying books, tables, chairs, cabinets? And the costs of heating, lighting, maintaining a librarian, a guard? It is clear that the reader must pay for using the library. Advertisements appeared in the city stating: "... The committee, starting to organize a library with almost no funds, hopes that society will come to its aid with its donations." The library was opened with funds that consisted of membership fees, donations of money and books. Almost all public libraries in Russia were opened in this way. The committee received a one-time allowance of 200 rubles from the City Duma on the condition that teachers of parish and zemstvo schools would use the library for free. The bank board allocated 100 rubles. Two performances and one concert were given, the proceeds from which were donated to the future library.
Many letters were sent to editorial offices and institutions with a request, if possible, to send books, magazines, and newspapers free of charge. Some agreed to send literature not at full cost, but at a discount. There were also those, such as the well-known progressive publisher K. T. Soldatenkov, who donated 77 volumes of books to the library. Borisoglebsk residents also donated money and books. The library received financial support from the Borisoglebsk district zemstvo, the mutual credit society, the Voronezh commercial bank, and Moscow bookstores. Influential Petersburgers also helped: the chief chamberlain of the royal court D. Naryshkin, archpriest John of Kronstadt, representatives of the merchant class (E. D. Myagkov, P. O. Volostnykh), the city intelligentsia (T. I. Zhevandrova, N. N. Maslovsky, N. P. Uspensky), wealthy citizens, among whom was Prince S. M. Volkonsky (grandson of the Decembrist S.G. Volkonsky). After the revolution of 1917, the library became publicly accessible: the fee for visiting the library was abolished.
In the fall of 1989, the library moved to a new building on Pavlovsky Street, 87, where it is currently located. And this building now houses the children's city library.