In 1942, the Douglas Island Women's Club members voted to open a library in Douglas to be organized and run by a committee of club members. The collection was housed on the second floor of the Douglas City Hall.

After nearly a year of operation, the library became a separate entity from the club, a governing board was formed, and the Douglas Public Library, Inc. was incorporated in 1943. The name of the board was changed in 1987 to the Douglas Library Board.

In 1959, an addition to the Douglas City Hall was approved and built and included a 20' x 20' room for a library. An open house was held in December 1960. This room housed the library until 1969 when a gift to the Board made it possible to move into larger quarters and purchase new furniture and additional books. The room next door to the library where the City Council met became the new library and the room that had been the library became the council meeting room.

Volunteers operated the library until 1972 when it became a branch library in the Juneau Borough Library System. This made it possible to be open longer hours and have a paid staff person and a larger book budget.

Although the Board played a less direct role after 1972, it was active in promoting a new library and fire hall building. The bonds for the new building were passed in 1984 and dedication ceremonies were held in May of 1987.

The Board members decided to disband in 1992. A Juneau Borough Library Endowment Board was formed in 1993 and the Board's assets were given to the newly-formed board with the stipulation that the money earned would be used for Douglas Public Library needs.