The first public library of Mutare, a thatch and dagga hut was built in Qld Umtali in 1893.Due to the engineering difficulties in constructing a railway line from Beira trough the existing town, Cecil John Rhodes in March 1896 advised the townspeople to move their town to a  new site on the railway whilst his company, the BSA paid them compensation.

In 1897,the town was relocated nine miles away to the present site. In 1898 a pole and dagga library was constructed in the new township and was named the Umtali Library and Reading Room. In 1902,the inhabitants of Umtali erected a new library and named it Scott Turner Memorial Library in honour of Major Henry Scott Turner, foundation member and Chairman of the Umtali Library and Reading Room and the first Civil Commissioner of Umtali(Major Turner died in Kimberly while heading a sortie in the Anglo-Boer War on the 28th of November 1899).A deed of transfer for the land nowhere the library was situated was made in favour of the municipality of Umtali on 24th June 1922(Deed number 21586).

By 1935 the population of Umtali had grown so rapidly and with it demand for reading space and books. The inhabitants of Umtali and the Beit Trustees in conjunction with Major Turner's widow built a library, a brick and iron roof-structure along main-street at the site of then library building. The library was to be relocated again 35 years later.

Meanwhile in 1969 Council made a proposal to the Scott Turner Memorial Library's Committee, that, they provide for a price of 50 000 pounds for the present site and building. This price was to be paid by the erection of a new architectural standard with a floor space about 7000 square feet, some two and a half times that of the present library and capable of future expansion .It was estimated that the cost of this modern building, inclusive of fixtures, fittings etc was to be paid by Council in cash .From this balance was to be met the costs of the layout and development of the site, including provisions of a car park area etc and any fund remaining was to be earmarked for application to library purposes.

It was proposed that there will be no charge for the site and so the entire proceeds from the sale of the existing library stand will be devoted to the new library. On 29th December 1969 at a special General Meeting of the Scott Turner Memorial Library, chaired by Councillor J Kircos (the then Mayor of Umtali ),the Committee acceded to the Municipality's request to dispose of the then present site and allow the library to be re-sited on land opposite the Civic Centre of which the approved plans would give the subscribers a very modern layout.

Objections citing the location and distance from the residents had been voiced by some members opting instead for an area near the Market Square along Main Street but this was overruled. It was proposed and adopted to rename the library to Turner Memorial Library. Construction of the new building was started in December 1970 and completed in August 1971.The old library was closed to the public on 18th August and to the credit of staff, 22000 books were packed and ready to move. They were transported by Glens Removals Company. This relocation took about two and a half weeks.

The new library now situated on stand number 1952 opened on the 10th September and both the land thereon registered in the name of the Municipality who was to maintain the buildings and grounds .The capital cost of the library was $99 691.62 and as at 30th June 1973, the Council held a further $308,38 as capital receipt in hand in respect of Turner Memorial Library .The sundial and water foundation decorating the front of the building was built by the City Engineer in 1973 and thereafter the ramp and car park were worked and completed in 1975 and 1977 respectively.

The renamed Turner Memorial Library's Committee continued its work at the new premises as was the case before. The library was maintained by means of membership subscriptions and annual grants from the Municipality and the Government. It was administered by a Committee of seven of whom four were nominated by council and three buy paid up members of the library .In 1982 the basement room was converted to a study room having received furniture from the Municipality. This was later expanded and renovated to become the Reference Library and was opened to the public in 1922.
On the 5th of December 1990 the Turner Memorial Library Management Committee held its last meeting and dissolved to give way to the amalgamation with the Municipality's library system and Mutare became the first city in the country to run a one city concept where all public libraries are administered by the Municipality.