Abington Public Library
🏢 Old Colony Library Network · Abington, Massachusetts
Abington Public Library
The Abington Public Library began service in 1878 in rented rooms on Washington Street and has grown into a modern 600 Gliniewicz Way facility that opened in December 1997 near Abington High School — built with a $1.3 million Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners construction grant. As a member of the 28-library Old Colony Library Network, an Abington card opens the doors to every South Shore library and unlocks museum passes, Kanopy streaming, and late evening hours four nights a week.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–8:30pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–8:30pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–8:30pm |
| Thursday | 10am–8:30pm |
| Friday | 12:30pm–5pm |
| Saturday | 10am–5pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 600 GLINIEWICZ WAY, ABINGTON, MA 02351
Phone: (781) 982-2139
Website: abingtonpl.org
Plus Code: 87JF429V+43 (ABINGTON, MA)
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📖 About Abington Public Library
The Abington Public Library serves this Plymouth County South Shore town of about 16,000 residents from its purpose-built building at 600 Gliniewicz Way, named in honor of a local benefactor. Library service in Abington dates to 1878, when the town established two small branches — one in the Abington Mutual Fire Insurance Building on Washington Street and one in North Abington, which operated in various rented homes. The libraries operated in rented spaces for nearly a century; in 1977 they merged into the Burton L. Wales Public Library in Town Hall. A 1984 long-range planning study found library space critically inadequate, and after years of advocacy the town voted in 1993 to commit three acres near the high school to a new building. A $1,300,000 public library construction grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners followed in 1995, and the current facility opened December 17, 1997. Today the library is a full member of the Old Colony Library Network (OCLN), a South Shore cooperative of 28 libraries, with reciprocal borrowing extended further to Boston Public Library, CW MARS, Minuteman, NOBLE, and other Massachusetts networks. Programs range from weekly storytimes and Lego clubs to adult book clubs, 'Device Advice' tech help sessions, and an ESOL program, while the local history collection includes Abington High School yearbooks dating back decades.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Library service since 1878 — two original branches merged in 1977; current Gliniewicz Way building opened December 17, 1997 after a $1.3M state construction grant
- Member of the Old Colony Library Network (OCLN) — 28 South Shore libraries plus reciprocal borrowing with BPL, Minuteman, NOBLE, and CW MARS
- Museum passes available to borrow free — access local and regional museums with your library card
- Kanopy streaming service — free films and documentaries on demand with no waitlists
- Local history collection including Abington High School yearbooks; ESOL resources and 'Device Advice' tech help
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Abington cardholders enjoy a full range of free digital resources through OCLN and the library's own subscriptions:
📚 Services
- Museum passes (free borrowing for local and regional museums)
- Public computers, printing, copying, and free Wi-Fi
- ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) resources
- Genealogy and local history materials including Abington yearbooks
- Device Advice technology help sessions
- Meeting room for community use
- Interlibrary loan through OCLN and Massachusetts networks
- Kanopy, hoopla, and Libby streaming and eBook services
🎸 Programs
- Storytimes and preschool programs
- Lego clubs and family drop-in activities
- Popular Fiction and Nonfiction adult book clubs
- Teen photography displays and summer reading
- 'Ask Rob' reference service for all ages
- Device Advice tech help
- Story Walk® community reading trail projects
- Summer reading challenge for children and adults
📍 Nearby Libraries on the South Shore
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in ABINGTON · Browse all Massachusetts libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Abington Public Library move to its current building, and why was it built?
The current building at 600 Gliniewicz Way opened on December 17, 1997. A 1984 long-range planning study had found library space severely inadequate. The town committed land near Abington High School in 1993, received a $1.3 million construction grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners in 1995, and opened the new purpose-built facility two years later.
Can I borrow museum passes from the Abington Public Library?
Yes. The library offers free museum passes that Abington cardholders can borrow to visit local and regional museums. Contact the library or check the website to see which museums are available and how to reserve a pass.
What is the Old Colony Library Network, and why does it matter for my card?
OCLN is a cooperative of 28 public and academic libraries on Massachusetts' South Shore. An Abington card gives you borrowing privileges at all 28 member libraries, and through OCLN's agreements you can also borrow from Boston Public Library, Minuteman Library Network, NOBLE (North of Boston), CW MARS, SAILS, and other Massachusetts networks — vastly expanding the titles available to you.
Does the library have resources for learning English (ESOL)?
Yes. The Abington Public Library maintains an ESOL collection of books and materials to support English language learners. The library also subscribes to Pronunciator, a free online language-learning platform available to all cardholders, which covers dozens of languages and levels.
🎨 This library lends museum passes. See how library museum passes work and find other libraries that lend passes museum passes by state.
📜 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.
🖨 This library offers printing, copying & fax. See how library printing, copying, scanning and fax services work — costs and mobile printing — and find other libraries that offer them printing & fax by state.
📅 This library has meeting & community rooms. See how library meeting rooms work — booking, policies and fees — and find other libraries with meeting or community rooms meeting rooms by state.
✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.
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