The Little Library Museum has been in Vienna for 127 years, making it a crucial piece of Vienna’s history. It was constructed as a single-roomed library back in 1897 and Vienna has worked hard to conserve this piece of town history. The Little Library was originally built on Library Lane, but was moved to Center Street just 15 years later. Another 57 years later, it was finally moved where it is now on Mill Street, next to the Freeman Store and the Town Green. The Little Library is a great opportunity to look over a piece of Vienna’s history, however, not many residents take the opportunity to visit this niche piece of Vienna’s history.

The Little Library Museum does not function like a typical public library as visitors cannot check books out. Many of the books in the collection date back to the opening of the library, so they cannot not be removed from the museum for preservation’s sake. However, visitors can come in to look over the vast collection; though not open as often as a regular library, the museum allows visitors from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the first Sunday of every month. It is also open during some community events, such as “Viva Vienna” and “Chillin’ on Church.” The museum offers some special events, such as readings and book signings. If people are looking for books that they can borrow, there is a Little Lending Library in front of the building, designed to look like a miniature version of the Little Library itself. 

The museum is also unique because the nonfiction section is not organized according to the Dewey Decimal system, which is how most libraries are currently organized. 

“It was organized to what the original librarian thought made sense,” a member of the Historic Vienna, Inc. Board of Directors Cathy Hardman said.

This makes it harder for some people to find the books that they are looking for, but visitors can use the physical card catalog to find where the approximate location is. 

This library played a large role in Vienna, for example during the age of Jim Crow laws. The museum only allowed white people to enter, which led to the construction of the Patrick Henry Library in 1967, which was desegregated. 

The library is “just a perfect snapshot of what life was like from one century to another,” Hardman said.