Portsmouth Public Library
🏢 City of Portsmouth · Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth Public Library
Portsmouth's public library since 1881 moved into a purpose-built home at 175 Parrott Avenue in 2006 — the first municipal building in New Hampshire to earn LEED certification — and stays open until 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday in the heart of this Seacoast port city.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–8pm |
| Thursday | 10am–8pm |
| Friday | 10am–5pm |
| Saturday | 10am–5pm |
| Sunday | 1pm–5pm (Sep–May; closed Jun–Aug) |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 175 Parrott Avenue, Portsmouth, NH 03801
Phone: (603) 427-1540
Website: portsmouthnh.gov
Plus Code: 87MF36CR+R3 (Portsmouth, NH)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Portsmouth Public Library
The Portsmouth Public Library serves New Hampshire's historic Seacoast, in a colonial port city at the mouth of the Piscataqua River. The city council created the library by ordinance in April 1881, and for more than a century it operated out of the 1809 Portsmouth Academy building at 8 Islington Street. In 2006 the library moved into a new $8 million brick building with a tower at 175 Parrott Avenue, which became the first municipal building in New Hampshire — and among the first public buildings in New England — to earn LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, scoring high for energy conservation, recycling, material selection, and its use of daylight and views. Operated by the City of Portsmouth, the library runs a bookmobile, lends across the New Hampshire statewide interlibrary loan network, and gives cardholders free access to shared digital collections.
⭐ What makes this library special
- First municipal building in New Hampshire to earn LEED certification, opened in 2006 as an $8 million green library
- Public library of Portsmouth since an April 1881 city ordinance — earlier housed in the 1809 Portsmouth Academy at 8 Islington Street
- Runs a bookmobile that carries library service out into the Portsmouth community
- On-site 3D printing, wireless printing, study rooms, notary service and device help
- Open late until 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday for after-work and after-school visits
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Portsmouth cardholders can stream, download and research free with a library card:
📚 Services
- 3D printing and wireless printing
- Bookmobile service across the community
- Notary public service
- Study rooms for quiet work and meetings
- Technology and device help from library staff
- Homebound delivery service
- Genealogy and Portsmouth local-history collections
- Public computers, printing & free Wi-Fi
🎸 Programs
- Children's story times and summer reading challenges
- Youth and teen programming
- Book discussion groups
- Language discussion (conversation) groups
- PPL Rex personalized recommendations & research help from staff
📍 Nearby Libraries in Seacoast New Hampshire
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Portsmouth · Browse all New Hampshire libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is special about the Portsmouth Public Library building?
When it opened at 175 Parrott Avenue in 2006, the $8 million brick building with a tower became the first municipal building in New Hampshire — and among the first public buildings in New England — to earn LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. It scored high marks for energy conservation, recycling, building-material selection, and its use of daylight and views. The library had spent the previous century in the 1809 Portsmouth Academy building on Islington Street.
Which evenings and weekends is the library open?
The library is open 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, so it's easy to visit after work or school. Friday and Saturday hours are 10 a.m.–5 p.m. On Sundays it opens 1 p.m.–5 p.m. from September through May and is closed on summer Sundays (June through August).
Does the Portsmouth Public Library have a bookmobile?
Yes. In addition to the main library at 175 Parrott Avenue, Portsmouth runs a bookmobile that brings books and library service directly out into the community, extending access beyond the building's walls.
Can I use a 3D printer at the library?
Yes. The Portsmouth Public Library offers 3D printing along with wireless printing, study rooms, and one-on-one device and technology help from staff, making it a hands-on resource for making and learning, not just borrowing.
📋 This library offers notary services. See what a library notary can do — what to bring, fees and appointments — and find other libraries with a notary notary services 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 has a makerspace / 3D printing. See how library makerspaces and 3D printing work and find other libraries with a makerspace makerspaces by state.
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