Port Angeles Main Library
🏢 North Olympic Library System · Port Angeles, Washington
Port Angeles Main Library
The Port Angeles Main Library is the headquarters of the North Olympic Library System, which was formed in 1973 when the Port Angeles City Library merged with the Clallam County Rural Library (established 1945). Built in 1998 on South Peabody Street, the nearly 25,000-square-foot building houses over 151,000 volumes and the Raymond Carver Community Meeting Room — honoring the American short-story master who lived and wrote in Port Angeles for the last decade of his life before his death here in 1988.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–7pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–7pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–7pm |
| Thursday | 10am–7pm |
| Friday | 9am–6pm |
| Saturday | 9am–5pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 2210 S. Peabody Street, Port Angeles, WA 98362
Phone: (360) 417-8500
Website: nols.org
Plus Code: 84WR4H46+CM (Port Angeles, WA)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Port Angeles Main Library
The North Olympic Library System (NOLS) traces its roots to 1945, when the Clallam County Rural Library was established to serve the Olympic Peninsula's scattered communities. In 1973 that district merged with the Port Angeles City Library to form NOLS, creating a unified public library system for all of Clallam County. The current Port Angeles Main Library opened in 1998 on South Peabody Street, designed with nearly 25,000 square feet of public space plus 5,000 additional square feet for system administration. The building features a flexible 'living room' for events and community gatherings, dedicated teen and youth areas, 32 public computers, quiet study rooms, a conference room, and a local history collection with more than 5,000 digitized historical photographs. The Raymond Carver Community Meeting Room pays tribute to the celebrated American author who made Port Angeles his home from 1983 until his death on August 2, 1988, and who is buried at Ocean View Cemetery in the city.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Main library and administrative hub of the North Olympic Library System, serving all of Clallam County since the 1973 merger of the Port Angeles City Library and Clallam County Rural Library
- Purpose-built 1998 building with nearly 25,000 sq ft of public space and a collection of over 151,000 volumes
- Raymond Carver Community Meeting Room honoring the American short-story writer who lived in Port Angeles 1983–1988 and is buried here
- Local history collection with 5,000+ digitized historical photographs of the Olympic Peninsula
- 32 public computers, quiet study rooms, and flexible community event space with extensive free parking
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
NOLS cardholders can borrow, stream, and research free through the library's digital collection and statewide resources:
📚 Services
- Local history collection with 5,000+ digitized historical photographs of the Olympic Peninsula
- 32 public computers and free Wi-Fi
- Raymond Carver Community Meeting Room (flexible event space)
- Quiet study rooms and conference room
- Dedicated teen and youth areas
- Interlibrary loan and statewide resource sharing
- Outreach services for homebound patrons throughout Clallam County
- Parking in partnership with Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
🎸 Programs
- Children's and youth programming and storytimes
- Teen programming and events
- Adult programs and author talks
- Summer reading program (all ages)
- Community events in the Raymond Carver Meeting Room
📍 Nearby Libraries on the Olympic Peninsula & Puget Sound
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Port Angeles · Browse all Washington libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Raymond Carver Community Meeting Room, and why is it named for him?
Raymond Carver (1938–1988) was one of America's most influential short-story writers, known for works like 'Cathedral' and 'What We Talk About When We Talk About Love.' He made Port Angeles his home from 1983, living and writing here at the Sky House retreat with poet Tess Gallagher. He died in Port Angeles on August 2, 1988, and is buried at Ocean View Cemetery. The city declared May 25 Raymond Carver Day in his honor, and the library's community meeting room carries his name.
Does NOLS serve the whole Olympic Peninsula, or just Port Angeles?
NOLS serves all of Clallam County, Washington — an area of more than 1,700 square miles on the Olympic Peninsula. In addition to the Port Angeles Main Library, the system operates branches in Clallam Bay, Forks, and Sequim, and runs an outreach program for homebound patrons throughout the county.
What local history resources does the library hold?
The Port Angeles Main Library houses a dedicated local history collection that includes over 5,000 digitized historical photographs of the Olympic Peninsula and a searchable local newspaper archive. The library also provides in-library access to Ancestry Library Edition for genealogy research.
What are the library's hours and does it open early on any day?
The library opens at 9 a.m. on Friday and Saturday (closing at 6 p.m. and 5 p.m. respectively). Monday through Thursday it opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 7 p.m. The library is closed on Sunday.
📜 This library has genealogy & local-history resources. See how library family-history research works and find other libraries with genealogy collections genealogy libraries by state.
✎ Notice something out of date? Suggest a correction and we’ll verify and update it.