Clayton Branch

The first library in Clayton was housed in the back of a grocery store / china shop that was owned by Mr. Edward Perkins. The library was started by his wife, Josephine. Books for the library were donated by residents of Clayton and kept in a cupboard.

In 1968 the library occupied the upper floor of the fire barn. By this time the Clayton Library had been a branch of the Lenawee District (County) Library for fifteen years, and the collection had about 3,500 items available to patrons.

At this time, the Clayton Library was in the center of five school districts which accounted for the abundance of children attendance on Wednesday nights and Saturday afternoons. Even during this time there were a number of participants during the Summer Reading Program, which continues to grow each year.

The library relocated to its current building in 2005. Many programs have taken place since then, including visits from the local fire department.

Because of its family-friendly atmosphere, the Clayton Library has only seen a small amount of different librarians throughout its years, including: Naomi Dowling, Erla Sawdey, Virginia Wentz, Deb Keene, Sarah Gebert, Karen Swanberg, Peggy Zeigler, Kellie Lee, Liz Fergus, and Jeanne Fergus.  The current librarian is Sarah Manders.

The Clayton Library remains an important fixture in the village.  Renovation for a new library space began and finished in 2017. It continues to be a local hangout spot for kids after school. 

The library is currently open Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.