Auburn Public Library
🏢 Minerva Library Network · Auburn, Maine
Auburn Public Library
The Auburn Public Library has served Androscoggin County's second-largest city since it opened in 1891 with 2,150 books, moved into an Andrew Carnegie-funded building in 1904, and expanded to a 33,000-square-foot facility in 2006. Its hands-on Create! Media Lab and Library of Things make it the creative hub of the Twin Cities alongside neighboring Lewiston, and it holds museum passes that unlock Maine attractions for Minerva cardholders.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–7pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–6pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–6pm |
| Thursday | 9am–6pm |
| Friday | 9am–6pm |
| Saturday | 9am–1pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 49 Spring Street, Auburn, ME 04210
Phone: (207) 333-6640
Website: auburnpubliclibrary.org
Plus Code: 87PF3QXC+77 (Auburn, ME)
📱 Scan for directions
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👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Auburn Public Library
Founded on October 27, 1890, when the Auburn Board of Trade petitioned the city, the Auburn Public Library opened on August 21, 1891, with 2,150 books and 30 periodicals under librarian Annie Prescott. A $25,000 Andrew Carnegie grant funded a purpose-built Carnegie library that welcomed patrons on August 1, 1904 — a single-floor design with fireproof stack rooms considered state-of-the-art for its era. The city made library access free to all residents in 1895, and the YMCA donated roughly 1,350 volumes in 1898. Expansions in 1956 (4,156 square feet of new children's space and stack floors) and a 1978 modernization with an elevator preceded the major 2006 capital renovation, which raised over $3.5 million and produced the current 33,000-square-foot facility. Today the library belongs to the Minerva library network, operates a Create! Media Lab makerspace, a Library of Things lending collection, and a genealogy and local history room. It also provides museum passes to Maine cultural sites and offers reciprocal borrowing across Maine through the Minerva shared catalog.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Founded 1890 by the Auburn Board of Trade; opened August 1891 with 2,150 books — one of Maine's oldest public libraries
- Carnegie library built 1904 with a $25,000 Andrew Carnegie grant; city made library access free to all residents in 1895
- 2006 renovation produced the current 33,000-square-foot facility, funded by a $3.5 million community capital campaign
- Create! Media Lab — makerspace offering hands-on creative technology for teens and adults
- Museum passes available to Minerva Network cardholders for Maine cultural institutions
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Auburn cardholders access Maine statewide digital resources and the Minerva shared network for free:
📚 Services
- Museum passes for Maine cultural institutions
- Create! Media Lab — makerspace with creative technology equipment
- Library of Things lending collection
- Genealogy and local history research room
- Public computers, printing, copying & free Wi-Fi
- Meeting room reservations
- Homebound delivery for eligible patrons
- Interlibrary loan through the Minerva Library Network
- Reference and reader's advisory assistance
🎸 Programs
- Children's storytimes and youth programming
- Teen programs and Make events
- Adult book clubs and reading groups
- Summer reading program for all ages
- Community events and author talks
- Friends of the Auburn Public Library events
📍 Nearby Libraries in Androscoggin County
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How old is the Auburn Public Library and what role did Andrew Carnegie play?
The Auburn Public Library was founded on October 27, 1890, and opened for service on August 21, 1891 — making it one of the older public libraries in Maine. Philanthropist Andrew Carnegie awarded the city a $25,000 grant that funded a purpose-built Carnegie library, which opened on August 1, 1904. The building was designed as a single-floor layout with fireproof stack rooms, considered state-of-the-art at the time.
What is the Create! Media Lab at the Auburn Public Library?
The Create! Media Lab is the library's makerspace — a hands-on facility with creative technology equipment available to library cardholders, particularly teens and adults. It is part of the library's broader mission to 'Engage, Enlighten, Enrich' the community. Contact the library at (207) 333-6640 or visit auburnpubliclibrary.org for current equipment availability and program schedules.
Does the Auburn Public Library share resources with Lewiston?
Yes. Both Auburn and Lewiston public libraries belong to the Minerva Library Network, a statewide Maine library consortium. A card from either library allows borrowing at all Minerva member libraries and access to the shared catalog at minerva.maine.edu. Auburn and Lewiston are the Twin Cities of Androscoggin County and their libraries are less than a mile apart.
What major renovation did the Auburn Public Library undergo, and how large is it today?
Following a community capital campaign that raised over $3.5 million, the library completed a major renovation in 2006 that produced the current 33,000-square-foot facility — roughly three times the size of the pre-renovation building. The renovation added computer labs, media spaces, expanded children's areas, and meeting rooms, transforming the Auburn Public Library into a modern community anchor for Androscoggin County.
🎨 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 lends a “Library of Things.” See what you can borrow besides books and find other libraries with a Library of Things Library of Things by state.
🔨 This library has a makerspace / 3D printing. See how library makerspaces and 3D printing work and find other libraries with a makerspace makerspaces 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.
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✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.
