The first library in Vailsburg opened in 1906 as a deposit station in the store of William Fisher on the southeast corner of South Orange Avenue and Sandford Avenue. Two hundred fifty to three hundred books were housed in a revolving case. The branch was closed in 1914 due to a lack of funds. Later, The Newark Public Library placed 3,000 books in the three schools in the area.

The idea of a Vailsburg Branch Library was discussed several times in the following years, but it was not until November 1924 that the library Board of Trustees decided to place a branch in the Vailsburg area. In October 1927 the Vailsburg Branch Library opened at the present site of 75 Alexander Street. The building was a modified type of Georgian architecture with red brick and white trim.

In the 1970s the branch was improved with air conditioning. But it was not until 2002 that the branch received a real modernization. The interior of the branch was almost completely removed and replaced with modern equipment. Three outside walls were kept to preserve the flavor of the original building. A split addition was added to the back of the branch to house the children’s room and enlarge the adult area.

The new Vailsburg Branch was opened to the public on May 20, 2003 with an official dedication ceremony on May 28th of the same year.