When the Westmount Public Library was opened in 1899, it was the first tax-supported public library in the province of Quebec and one of the first established outside Ontario. In 1897, an ageing British monarch, a young Canadian town, and a reneging utility company prompted the establishment of this unique library as a permanent memorial to Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. In addition to telling the fascinating story of the Westmount Public Library, this book examines the broader picture of Quebec and Canadian library development.