 Later, in 1901, the Women's Christian Temperance Union of Ballard began raising money with fairs and socials for a new reading room on Ballard Avenue; it moved and expanded several times to different locations.Having decided to build a proper library, the Ballard City Council established a library board in 1903 and the city applied to the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie for a library grant to help underwrite the costs of construction of a new library.The library was built on a lot of square, which was purchased for $2,100 raised by local businesses and citizens, supported by the earlier fundraising and book collections of the women's union, and a $15,000 grant from Carnegie.