Velikiy Ystyug  has a rich history and is of the same age of Moscow and Vologda. There were two libraries in Velikiy Ystyug  before the revolution of 1917 : the County Zemstvo Library (founded in 1890) and Pushkin Free Library – Reading House (founded in 1899). Both libraries were disbanded later on.

  In 1919 the Central Library – Reading House was created in the town  by the Uezd Department of Public Education. Its holdings absorbed the books and magazines of the libraries existed before (they are mentioned above)  and also the private library of a local architect, professor Kunitsyn and the other sources. 

 In 1930 the library turned to the District Library. In 1941 there were again two public libraries. The Velikiy Ustyug City Library was formed on 16^th of June, right before the Second World War. For newly organized library the town gave  about 6 thousand  volumes of various content  that before belonged to the School of Comsomol Propagandists, that about the same time was moved to Vologda. The Second World War had started but the library was not closed to the public and served the first users in September 1941.

 From 1970 the library is located in the former winter Church of the Annunciation in the  Cathedral of the Dormition (founded in 1738, was rebuilt for a several times, the last rebuilding took place in 1877, was closed in 1927). It is interesting that the church hosted the cathedral library and the dining room  while the Cathedral  was acting.  

 Today Municipal Institution of Culture “Centralized Library Network of the towns of Velikiy Ustyug and Krasavino includes 8 libraries. Among them are 2 children libraries, 2 special libraries : the eco-library and the library of family leisure. Two libraries are located in the town of Krasavino, birthplace of Sergey Preminin, the Hero of Russia. Total number of the library users is 18 thousand.