 Harvey W. Scott served as the first librarian, part-time, at its first location on Stark Street in Portland.In 1869, the library moved to the Ladd & Tilton Bank Building where it received free rent.Deady was the president from 1874 until 1893, and found that fundraising was "like pulling teeth", calling the local establishment "closefisted narrow visioned millionaires" in 1888, also stating "The rich men of Portland will never do much for [the library] until they die, and maybe not then."