Welcome to the Forest Carnegie Library Event Centre

We thank you for your interest and hope you will support our efforts to communicate and share this beautiful historical site with others.

A Building Worth Remembering

The Forest Carnegie Library was built in 1912, libraries have grown to be more than places to borrow books. They were places to gather, learn, discover and expand one's world. Our Library has opened its doors to now enable you to share the space privately. Our home spaces are not designed to have 20+ guests and this building is perfect to hold your event.

We are especially grateful to Victor Alderson, a former owner, whose efforts helped secure the building's heritage recognition. The Ontario Heritage plaque mounted on the front of the building is something we are very proud to preserve.

And now, after sitting empty for approximately forty years, the building has a new chapter.

We continue to hard to restore her, bring her up to today's standards and once again open her doors to the community.

Look Up. Look Around. Imagine.

The building reflects the architectural style associated with the Carnegie libraries of its era—deep red brick, substantial front steps, massive pillars, the distinctive eyebrow over the entrance and, perhaps most beautifully, those wonderfully large windows.

Before electric lighting became commonplace, natural light was essential to a library. Those windows brought God's light into a room where people came to read, study and learn.

Today, the light still pours in.

And yes, there are places where the floors and stairs still squeak. We rather like that. It is a little reminder that this building has lived a life.

For more than a century, people have walked through these doors with their Thirst for Knowledge. We hope that spirit continues.

A Library Building, With a New Purpose

We fondly call her the Event Centre, because today the building can be used by you, as you wish.

Perhaps it is a graduation, retirement, birthday, wedding, family gathering or celebration of life. Maybe you need a private business meeting, a place to meet with clients or staff, or simply somewhere different to gather with friends.

You can enjoy a meal, listen to music, play billiards, share stories, browse our books or connect your computer to our modern presentation equipment.

We even have a collection of vinyl recordings, because sometimes the best way to spend an evening is simply to sit back and listen.

There is something rather wonderful about a 1912 library with 5G internet, modern presentation technology and music recorded decades ago all sharing the same room.

Come and Make a Memory

Our main floor offers a comfortable kitchen for preparing, warming, cooling and serving food. The large harvest-style table can become a boardroom for a business meeting or be dressed with linens and beautiful china for a more formal gathering.

There is also a quieter sitting area where you can simply sit, read and enjoy the space.

The Centre can be arranged to suit the occasion—and we can help arrange additional services when needed.

The point is simple: the Forest Carnegie Library is unique, and so is the reason you may need a place to gather.

Private Events Remain Private

While we share the Centre with the public and occasionally hold public events, the private events held here remain private and confidential.

Weddings, birthdays, family gatherings, meetings and other private functions are not publicized by us unless we are specifically required to do so.

Stay Connected

We invite you to visit library-events.com and subscribe at the bottom of the page.

Our website is more than a booking site. We use it to share stories, history, photographs, upcoming activities and ideas for how this building can continue to serve Forest and the surrounding community.

We would also love to hear your stories.

Did you grow up here? Do you remember the library? Do you have an old photograph, a family story or a memory connected to this building?

Please share it with us. We believe history belongs to the people who lived it.

You can also follow us on https://www.facebook.com/forestcarnegielibrary/ and help us spread the word by sharing our links and posts.

A Treasure With a Future

This building has stood in Forest since 1912.

Its heritage designation means there are architectural restrictions that must be respected, but those restrictions are also part of what makes this building special.

We believe the Forest Carnegie Library is a genuine treasure of Lambton Shores—not simply because of its age, but because of what it represents.

A place where people once came to learn.

A place where people can still come to gather.

A place where stories can be shared, new ideas can begin and the Thirst for Knowledge can continue.

Come see her. Come use her. Come add your own chapter to her story.

Forest Carnegie Library Event Centre
12 Main Street North, Forest Lambton Shores, Ontario

Lisa Reaume 519 503 2928