The story of the Crozet Library goes back as far as 1907. Crozet historian Phil James included a chapter on the library's history in his first volume of Secrets of the Blue Ridge (Crozet Gazette Feb 2010).

For 25 years the library was located in the clubhouse of the Women's Club of Crozet. By the late 1940s, when the local library's collection had risen to as many as 3,000 books, it was augmented by visits from the Bookmobile of the McIntire Public Library in Charlottesville. The Bookmobile continued to visit Crozet until, in 1964, a branch of the McIntire Library opened in Crozet for the first time. The library opened on May 6, 1964 in a small building across the street from the old railroad depot. It was open 22 hours each week. After several years, it moved to the building on the square that now houses Crozet Hardware.

During this period, the Crozet Library League was organized, and began raising funds to create a more permanent and suitable home for the library. In 1984, the Perry Foundation provided funding that allowed the old depot to be purchased and renovated for the library. This historic building, standing at the center of town, provided a lovely (but crowded) home for the library until the present building opened.

A new chapter began for the Crozet Library on September 28, 2013 when the doors to the new Crozet/Western Albemarle Library formally opened to the public, following the traditional Crozet Library book brigade , and a Grand Opening celebration.

The Crozet/Western Albemarle Library, now open 52 hours each week, is a permanent public space that encourages and nurtures intellectual freedom and curiosity, and supports JMRL’s mission to help its communities grow, learn and connect. The building is designed to provide a collection of over 75,000 books. In addition to being an anchor for an active, growing community, the library stands as a permanent testament to the County and citizenry's dedication to lifelong learning.

The County of Albemarle funded construction of the new library and the local community raised funds needed to provide all the furnishings and equipment. In 2014 the building was awarded LEED Silver Certification, recognizing the library was designed and built to minimize environmental impact.