The City Library was set up in 1851. It is the oldest public library in Mauritius. It was set up initially as a reference library for the municipal staff and developed into a public reference library. As from 1935, it became accessible to the public through its lending facilities. Attempts to modernise the City Library really started in the 1960s. Events that stand out as landmarks in its modernisation process are : 

• Open access to its collections.

• Modernisation of the furniture, especially shelving.

• Introduction of the catalogue card cabinet and the Dewey Decimal Classification for non-fiction books.

• Setting up of a children's library.

• Creation of Reading Rooms in suburban areas of Port Louis, offering facilities such as reference.

• books, on-spot consultation of magazines and newspapers, lending of children's books.

• Launching of a mobile library service with two vehicles for the different localities of the city.

• Computerisation of the library service in 1992.

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