In April, 1916, a petition of 55 citizens of the Mentone Community subscribed a total of $158 as a guarantee of good faith for a proposed library in Mentone. A Carnegie Library was first suggested but was voted down. After the Court found the list according to the law, the Mentone Council, the Mentone School board, and the Judges of the Circuit Court appointed the following people to serve as a library Board of Trustees: Charles Dillingham, Mrs. Flavia Myers, Levi Jefferies, Mrs. Emma Yocum, LeRoy Smith, Mrs. Allen Jefferies, and George Ralston.

A room was found over the bank to serve as temporary headquarters. The Board of Education donated all books in the school library, except reference books, and 50 books were borrowed from the State Library. In March, 1917 the librarian reported a total of 644 volumes in the library and stated that 53 books had been loaned.

On Nov. 1, 1918, the library was moved to a room in a building owned by Carlyn Myers on the north side of Main Street. In 1936 the Library Board voted to purchase a building and lot on the south side of Main Street for $2600 as permanent quarters for the library. The library remained there until 1960 when it opened at 306 N. Broadway. The library moved to 101 W Main St. where it remains today. This renovated building that was the former Frank Manufacturing Building, houses a licensed daycare and a senior citizen center. (Funding was partly from a CFF Grant from the Department of Commerce. From the 644 books in 1917, the library now has over 38,000 copies for loan.

The library was built with a $20,000 grant to the town of Mentone from the will of Lawrence D. Bell. Mr. Bell had requested that the money be used for a suitable memorial to his parents, Isaac and Harriet (Sarber) Bell, and the Mentone Board made the decision to use the money, plus $3000 from the sale of the old building to build a new library. The decision was also made to change the name from Mentone Public Library to the Bell Memorial Public Library.