In 1734, Father José Hipólito de Aguado and a group of priests from the Oratorio church founded a home for poor women called Hogar de Nuestra Señora de Santa Ana. This home was maintained by the high society of San Miguel de Allende.
Over many years, a large number of women from San Miguel lived quietly in this home, some married, others became nuns and others spent their whole lives there.
In 1862, El Hogar de Mujeres was expropriated by the government during the War of the Reform, and the women were expelled. The building was left in ruins and later became a flea market.
Since 1958 it has housed the Biblioteca Pública.
In 1954, the Canadian Helen Wale invited young Mexicans to her house on Calle de Hospicio to enjoy her large collection of magazines. Word soon spread and it was necessary to bring more chairs and tables for the children.
Several foreigners offered help in this task, who added educational material and introduced a collection of fairy tales in English, translated into Spanish.
It was such a success that in 1957 they decided to ask the governor of Guanajuato to establish a suitable space to create a library that would serve the entire community.
The following year, the governor offered them the building in Insurgentes on loan. Several events were organized to raise the money to start the restoration.
The Biblioteca Pública, in its current location, was officially inaugurated in 1958.
