St. John's Library is one of two branches built with grants from the Carnegie Foundation - the other being Cornish Library. The other Carnegie funded library, built in 1905, is at 380 William Ave.

Catalogue of the American library of the late Samuel Latham Mitchill Barlow by Barlow, Samuel L. M. (Samuel Latham Mitchill), 1826-1889; Harrisse, Henry, 1829-1910; Chamberlain, Mellen, 1821-1900, ...