In 1935, a cupboard in the local American Legion Hall served as the first library in the Osceola County community of Ashton. The cupboard collection consisted of 50 books borrowed from the Iowa State Traveling Library in addition to a growing number of books donated by the community. By 1940, 408 books had been collected and the library was relocated to the shelves of the Legion Hall kitchen. By 1946, the books were relocated to the old town hall and in 1950, the Ashton City Council officially approved monetary support of the Public Library.

After three years of work to obtain funds for a bigger facility, the present library location opened its doors in May 1973. Other notable moments in the library’s history include acquisition of a public computer in 1992, installation of an outdoor drop box in 1995, and the addition of DVDs to the collection in 2002. Patrons to the Ashton Public Library now have access to over 12,000 books, 600 VHS videos, 250 DVD videos, 180 audio books, and approximately 50 magazines.