El Dorado's first library was built in 1912 from locally quarried hand-cut, native white limestone. Topped with the Spanish tiled roof, the library was funded in part by Andrew Carnegie. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the building is now privately owned with no public access, but it remains as a historic piece of distinguished architecture located across the street from the equally distinquished Court House built in 1909.

A new library was built in 1959 to accommodate the growth of public use of the library facilities. The Bradford Memorial Library was built with a donation by Mrs. Ruth Bradford as a memorial to her husband, Robert H. Bradford. The new library is located at 611 S. Washington.

Today, the building is occupied by a private business and is not open to the public.