EARLY LIBRARIES IN COUNCIL BLUFFSThe Council Bluffs Public Library has been a cultural, educational and entertainment leader in Council Bluffs since 1866. In March of that year, the first attempt to establish a Library was made by a newly organized group known as the Young Men’s Library Association. D. C. Bloomer was its Chair. On April 24, 1882, the Free Public Library –the first in the state—was opened in a rented space on the second floor at 12 Pearl Street at a cost of $200 per year. Marcia Davenport was the librarian (1878-1894). The library is located on Willow Avenue in Council Bluffs.