In the late 1970s and early 1980s, counties around the state of Florida were creating countywide library systems, due largely to incentives from the Florida Division of Library and Information Services. PCLS, one of the youngest library systems in the state, was formed by county ordinance in 1980. At that time there were municipal owned and operated libraries in three cities; Dade City, New Port Richey and Zephyrhills. The unincorporated areas of Pasco County had three existing volunteer-led libraries in the communities of Hudson, Holiday, and Land O' Lakes. The Hugh Embry Library, in Dade City, which was established in 1904, became a municipal library in 1953 and joined the Pasco County Library System in 1981. The City of Zephyrhills library joined with the Pasco county library system to form a cooperative in 2000. The Pasco County Library System has grown into a seven branch library system with established cooperative arrangements with Zephyrhills and New Port Richey city libraries.

The Hudson Regional Library (32,640 sq. ft.) evolved from humble roots. Originally comprised of a sparse handful of dedicated volunteers in 1975, the Hudson Library was first housed in a small motel room. After the Friends of the Hudson Library raised sufficient funds, it was moved to a flood-prone building on Old Dixie Highway. After the passage of the building referendum, a new Hudson Library was built at 8012 Library Road in Hudson. This 32,640 square foot building, with monumental entry columns and a 35-foot high clerestory, has a shelving capacity of 120,000 volumes and serves as the PCLS headquarters includes Support Services functions such as collection development, cataloging, processing, automation and delivery. The new Hudson Library opened its doors to the public on April 22, 1990.

The Hugh Embry Branch Library was founded in 1904 by Mr. Hugh Embry. Mr. Embry had come home for Christmas from Ohio in 1903 and caught a severe cold. Unable to return to Ohio and his studies, he read all the available books from his family and friends. He then decided that Dade City needed a library and went out and collected $50.00 to start one. Three years later, after his death from Tuberculosis, the library was named the Hugh Embry Memorial Library in his honor. The Women’s Club of Dade City took charge of the library for several years, and in 1927, appointed Mrs. Waldo Richardson as the first trained librarian to run the library. The library was reborn as the Hugh Embry Free Public Library on July 30, 1927. In the 1930’s, Mrs. F.G. Stockbridge moved to Dade City and became the librarian for the next 20 years. In 1952, the City gave property across from City Hall for a library facility. By 1953, Dade City officially became financially responsible for the Hugh Embry Library and a drive for a building fund began and the Friends of the Hugh Embry Library and the City of Dade City combined efforts for a new building. On November 13, 1963, the new library opened its doors. In 1981, the Hugh Embry Library became part of the Pasco County Library System. The library was expanded and renovated with County Bond Referendum funding and the new library which had doubled in size to 7,200 square feet opened its doors in 1991.

The South Holiday Branch Library (8,000 sq. ft.) was built with the County Bond Referendum funds and $400,000 of Library Services and Construction Act Grant (LSCA) funds. The library opened its doors to the public on March 24, 1992, at 4649 Mile Stretch Drive in Holiday. The South Holiday Library was originally intended to be a neighborhood facility specializing only in popular reading materials; however, a rapidly-growing community brought a demand for information services. South Holiday is now a small, full service library.

The New River Branch Library was built with Community Development Block Grant funds (CDBG) fund allocations. New River Library opened to the public on October 31, 1991, at 34043 State Road 54 in Zephyrhills.

The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center (26,000 sq.ft.) is a new library built in conjunction with, and partially funded by, the Pasco County School District. The library opened its doors to the public on August 2, 2021, and is a direct partnership library with the Starkey Ranch K-8 school located next door at 12200 Lake Blanche Drive. A portion of the library serves as the school’s media center during school hours and is available to the public when the school is closed. During school hours, the adult reading room, makerspaces, and study rooms are available for public use.