Canton's first public library was established in 1979, when residents voted to support a public library. On October 20, 1980, the doors opened on the third floor of the township hall in 12,000 square feet of space. During the next eight years, the library became one of the busiest libraries in southeast Michigan. It soon outgrew its crowded quarters. In 1986, voters supported a second mill to construct and operate a new, 31,000 square foot facility on 7.5 acres just south of the township hall. It opened in 1988.

During the 1990s, Canton experienced record growth and the library soon became "standing room only" during peak times. The library Board of Trustees voted to expand and renovate the library out of its operating millage. The project was launched in 1999. The library continued to serve patrons while construction took place on three sides of the building, with much of the interior being refurbished in the process. In April 2001, the newly expanded and renovated 53,000 square foot library reopened with a brand new look.

In 2002, the Canton Public Library first reached one-million annual circulation, and now attains that figure earlier each year. Circulation for 2007 was 1.6 million items. Its collection of books, audiobooks, magazines, videos, CDs, CD-ROMs, video games and more includes almost 269,000 unique titles and 310,000 total materials. In addition, the library's online resources are constantly being augmented and refreshed.