Libraries in North Kingstown

The Story of the Library in North Kingstown

The North Kingstown Free Library traces its roots to 1899, when it first opened in the village of Wickford through the efforts and philanthropy of local benefactors. Over more than a century it grew from a small village reading room into the town's central library on Boone Street, expanding its young readers' area and adding a dedicated local-history collection during later renovations.

The Davisville Free Library began as a community reading room in the Davisville village in the 1910s, championed by a local schoolteacher, and later moved into its own building on Davisville Road. It remains an independent free library run largely by and for its neighborhood, a small counterpart to the town's main library and a testament to Davisville's local community spirit.

About Public Libraries in North Kingstown

North Kingstown is served by two community libraries — the North Kingstown Free Library on Boone Street and the smaller Davisville Free Library in the village of Davisville — both members of Ocean State Libraries (OSL), the statewide consortium that links Rhode Island's public libraries under a single shared catalog. A free OSL library card is available to any Rhode Island resident with photo ID and proof of current address, and it lets you borrow from and place holds across the entire network, not just the local branch. The card also unlocks downloadable eBooks and audiobooks plus the statewide databases funded through the state.

AskRI.org is Rhode Island's statewide online library, funded by the state and coordinated by the Providence Public Library as the Statewide Reference Resource Center. Every Rhode Island resident gets free access to its research databases, learning tools and live reference help — most of it available 24/7 with a local library card.

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