On April 2, 1849, twelve years after Michigan became a state, the Spring Lake Township Board was organized. At that time they voted to spend $50.00 for a public library. After this initial outlay, $25.00 per year was allotted to the library for the purchase of new books. At this time the library was housed in the township clerk's office which was in his home.

When the Spring Lake Village Hall was built in 1936, one room was set aside for the library. This small library served our community for twenty-eight years. In 1965, the library moved into the newly completed Spring Lake Township Hall building. At that time our library collection had grown to 5,400 volumes.

In 1970 the Spring Lake Township Board agreed to budget funds each year to build a new library sometime in the future. Late in 1975 the property on the corner of Church and Exchange was purchased, and three houses removed from the site. A new library was constructed  and on June 18, 1977, the Warner Baird Library was dedicated. This was made possible in part with the support of Warner and Julia Baird, residents of the community since 1919.

The Library became a district library on May 2, 1994, when the Village of Spring Lake and Spring Lake Township signed an agreement to create the district library. The district includes Spring Lake Township and The Village of Spring Lake. In 2001, residents of the district approved construction of a new library building and construction began in May 2002.  The new library, now called the Spring Lake District Library, was completed in April 2003, and dedicated on May 17, 2003.