The Carnegie Library which preceded the Seychelles National Library was opened in 1910. It was built from a grant provided by the Carnegie Trust Fund and was managed by a Board of Trustees. The board was dissolved in 1970 when the Department of Education took over the Carnegie Library and re-named it the Carnegie Public Library.
The British Council provided the library with a grant for new shelves, appointed a librarian from England and added more volumes to the stock.
In 1978 the Carnegie Public Library was declared the National Library of Seychelles. The following year the National Library was transferred to a newly renovated building on State House Avenue.
Over the years, the National Library expanded into more specialised services such as the Children's Section, the Adult Reference Section with a special collection on Indian Ocean among others. Following this expansion, there was a need for more space to accomodate the increasing stocks as well as the number of readers.
The National Development Plan of 1985 - 1989 therefore initiated plans for the construction of a new library. In order to implement the project, the government instituted the National Library Trust Fund.
Construction started in 1991 and was completed in 1994 when the library moved to its current premises on Francis Rachel Street. The President, Mr. France Albert Rene officially opened the new Seychelles National Library on June 18, 1994,
Parallel to the development of the main library on Mahe, branch libraries were also set up on Praslin and La Digue.