According to the chronicler, in 1825, Count László Festetics donated 1,000 forints for a reading society that was to be set up within the scope of the noble county to facilitate the improvement of the national language and culture.
At the time of the foundation a book purchasing committee was formed whose important member was Dániel Berzsenyi, famous poet of the age. He exceeded not only as an advisor, but he was one of the most faithful readers of the library as well.
From the foundation to 1866 the library operated in the county hall, then in the grammar school building, after that in the county hall again till 1952.
The old building
The county library was established in August 1952 as a “council library”. It moved to its present building in August1964 and took the name Palmiro Togliatti, which it held until 1990. From 1st January, 1992. the institution has been maintained the City of Kaposvár and Somogy County together after the union of the county, the municipal and the trade union libraries. In addition to the central library there are 10 branch libraries at the readers’ disposal.