Perth Amboy Free Public Library
🏢 Libraries of Middlesex Automation Consortium · Perth Amboy, New Jersey
Perth Amboy Free Public Library
The Perth Amboy Free Public Library occupies one of the first Carnegie libraries built in New Jersey — a 1903 Beaux-Arts and Classical Revival landmark dedicated December 3, 1903, added to the National Register of Historic Places in September 2025, and still the community's primary free public library more than 120 years later.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 10:30am–5pm |
| Thursday | 9am–8pm |
| Friday | 9am–5pm |
| Saturday | 9am–4pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 196 Jefferson Street, Perth Amboy, NJ 08861
Phone: (732) 826-2600
Website: pafpl.org
Plus Code: 87G7GP6H+5P (Perth Amboy, NJ)
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👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Perth Amboy Free Public Library
The Perth Amboy Free Public Library serves Middlesex County's Perth Amboy, a city of about 51,000 residents on the Raritan Bay, with roots in organized community lending stretching back to 1825. The current Carnegie building at 196 Jefferson Street was funded with a $20,000 grant from Andrew Carnegie — announced in the New York Times in March 1901 — and dedicated December 3, 1903, on land donated by J.C. McCoy of the Raritan Copper Works, with additional book-purchase funds from Adolph Lewisohn. A 1914 Carnegie Corporation grant of $30,000 funded two reading rooms; in 1925 a children's library was added. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in September 2025 for its architectural significance in the Beaux-Arts and Classical Revival styles, and was previously added to the New Jersey Register of Historic Places in July 2025. The library holds 177,469 volumes, circulates over 110,000 items per year, and is a member of the Libraries of Middlesex Automation Consortium (LMxAC). A dedicated Local History room maintains genealogy resources, yearbooks, and obituary records for Perth Amboy. The library is bilingual-friendly with Spanish-language resources through the Informe database in JerseyClicks, and Mango Languages for language learning.
⭐ What makes this library special
- One of New Jersey's first Carnegie libraries — dedicated December 3, 1903, funded by Andrew Carnegie and land donated by J.C. McCoy of the Raritan Copper Works
- Added to the National Register of Historic Places in September 2025 and the New Jersey Register of Historic Places in July 2025 for Beaux-Arts and Classical Revival architectural significance
- Open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday until 8 p.m., with six-day-a-week service for a city of 51,000 residents
- Local History Room with Perth Amboy genealogy resources, obituary lookup, yearbooks, and historical records dating to the 19th century
- Member of Libraries of Middlesex Automation Consortium (LMxAC), unlocking eLibraryNJ eBooks and shared digital resources across Middlesex County
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Perth Amboy cardholders can access eBooks, streaming video, language learning, and research databases for free:
📚 Services
- Local History Room with genealogy resources, obituary lookup, yearbooks, and historical records for Perth Amboy
- Separate Children's Library with dedicated youth programs, databases (PebbleGo, ABCmouse), and events
- Teen Library with Teen Advisory Board, databases, and events calendar
- Public computers, wireless printing (computers shut down 15 minutes before closing), and free Wi-Fi
- Interlibrary loan through the LMxAC consortium
- Reciprocal borrowing with other LMxAC member libraries
- Meeting room and facilities available by request
- Ask a Librarian online form for reference questions
🎸 Programs
- Tween Zine & Graphic Novel Club (bi-weekly)
- Kids & Teens Chess Club
- Builder's Club: Lego & Beyond
- Little Reader Storytime (evenings)
- Hispanic Heritage Month programming (bilingual events)
- STEM programs for children (Earth Science, coding activities)
- Kids' Summer Reading Program (CSLP theme: Unearth a Story 2026)
- America 250 Reading Challenge via Beanstack
- Teen Advisory Board meetings and volunteer opportunities
- Incomprehensible Friends and Rebellious Enemies: historical lectures (adults)
📍 Nearby Libraries in Middlesex County
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Perth Amboy · Browse all New Jersey libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is the history of the Perth Amboy Free Public Library's Carnegie building?
Andrew Carnegie's $20,000 grant for a Perth Amboy library was announced in the New York Times in March 1901. The building was constructed on land donated by J.C. McCoy of the Raritan Copper Works, with $1,000 from Adolph Lewisohn for book purchases. Dedicated December 3, 1903, it is one of three Carnegie libraries opened that year still in use as a library. In 1914 the Carnegie Corporation contributed another $30,000 for two reading rooms. The building was added to the New Jersey Register of Historic Places in July 2025 and the National Register of Historic Places in September 2025 for its Beaux-Arts and Classical Revival architecture.
What are the Perth Amboy Free Public Library's hours?
The library is open six days a week: Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday 9 a.m.–8 p.m.; Wednesday 10:30 a.m.–5 p.m.; Friday 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m.–4 p.m. The library is closed on Sunday. Note that all computers shut down 15 minutes before closing.
Does the Perth Amboy library have genealogy and local history resources?
Yes. The library maintains a Local History Room with genealogy resources for Perth Amboy and the Middlesex County region. Services include obituary request (search the library's historical newspaper clippings), yearbooks from Perth Amboy schools, and access to genealogy databases through JerseyClicks. You can submit an obituary request online at pafpl.org/local-history/obituary-request.
What digital resources come with a Perth Amboy library card?
Your Perth Amboy Free Public Library card unlocks eBooks and audiobooks through eLibraryNJ/OverDrive, streaming video and music through hoopla (5 checkouts/month), award-winning films through Kanopy, language learning through Mango Languages, and research databases through JerseyClicks (New Jersey State Library's statewide portal). Cards are free for Perth Amboy residents; apply online or in person.
📜 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.
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