North Kingstown Free Library
🏢 Ocean State Libraries Member · Wickford, North Kingstown, Rhode Island
North Kingstown Free Library
Wickford's town library since 1899, the North Kingstown Free Library sits at 100 Boone Street and stays open until 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Its South County Room preserves the history of one of Rhode Island's oldest colonial villages, and one Ocean State Libraries card borrows across 50+ RI libraries.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 8:30am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 8:30am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 8:30am–8pm |
| Thursday | 8:30am–8pm |
| Friday | 8:30am–1:30pm |
| Saturday | 8:30am–4:30pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 100 Boone Street, North Kingstown, RI 02852
Phone: (401) 294-3306
Website: nklibrary.org
Plus Code: 87HCHGCV+3J (North Kingstown, RI)
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👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About North Kingstown Free Library
The North Kingstown Free Library is the public library of North Kingstown, Rhode Island, serving the historic seaport village of Wickford and the surrounding town. It first opened in 1899 in a building on Brown Street funded by local businessman Caleb Allen Chadsey, who donated the land and $10,000 to build it (that original library now houses town offices at 55 Brown Street). In the mid-1970s the library moved to a new, larger building at 100 Boone Street designed by The Architects Collaborative and completed in 1974–75. Today the library pairs a full circulating collection with a notable local-history operation: the South County Room holds historic photographs, documents and objects on the history of North Kingstown, and a partnership with Advantage Archives puts local newspapers and yearbooks online as a free, searchable digital archive. As a member of Ocean State Libraries (OSL), a North Kingstown card borrows at 50+ public libraries across Rhode Island, and the library lends museum passes funded by its Friends group.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Founded 1899 on Brown Street with land and a $10,000 gift from local businessman Caleb Allen Chadsey; moved to its current 100 Boone Street building (designed by The Architects Collaborative, completed 1974–75)
- South County Room preserves North Kingstown's local history — historic photographs, documents and objects with a searchable collection catalog
- Free digital newspaper & yearbook archive of local titles through a partnership with Advantage Archives — a genealogy and local-research resource
- Museum passes funded by the Friends of the North Kingstown Free Library for discounted or free admission to area museums
- Member of Ocean State Libraries (OSL): one card borrows from 50+ public libraries across Rhode Island, plus free parking-lot Wi-Fi
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
North Kingstown cardholders access these digital resources through Ocean State Libraries at no charge:
📚 Services
- Free OSL library card (accepted at 50+ Rhode Island member libraries)
- Interlibrary loan through the Ocean State Libraries consortium
- South County Room local-history collection (photographs, documents & objects)
- Free digital newspaper & yearbook archive (Advantage Archives)
- Museum passes funded by the Friends of the Library
- Notary public service
- Mobile printing and public computers with free Wi-Fi (including parking-lot Wi-Fi)
- Homebound delivery for residents who cannot visit in person
🎸 Programs
- Children's storytimes and early-literacy programs
- Summer Reading Program (all ages)
- Teen programs and clubs
- Adult book discussion groups
- Local-history and genealogy programs
- Author talks and community events
📍 Nearby Libraries in Washington County
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in North Kingstown · Browse all Rhode Island libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What are the North Kingstown Free Library's hours, and when does it close early?
The library is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. On Friday it closes early at 1:30 p.m., and Saturday runs 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is closed on Sunday. The building is at 100 Boone Street in Wickford; call (401) 294-3306 to confirm holiday hours.
What is the South County Room, and can I use it for local research?
The South County Room is the library's local-history collection, holding historic photographs, documents and objects related to North Kingstown and the Wickford area, with a searchable collection catalog. It pairs with the library's free Advantage Archives digital collection — searchable local newspapers and yearbooks — making the North Kingstown Free Library a strong starting point for South County genealogy and history research.
How old is the library, and why is the historic building on Brown Street a different address?
The North Kingstown Free Library opened in 1899 in a building on Brown Street funded by local businessman Caleb Allen Chadsey, who donated the land and $10,000. That original library building still stands and now houses town offices at 55 Brown Street. In the mid-1970s the library moved to its current, larger home at 100 Boone Street, designed by The Architects Collaborative and completed in 1974–75.
Does my North Kingstown card work at other Rhode Island libraries, and can I borrow a museum pass?
Yes. The library is a member of Ocean State Libraries (OSL), so one card borrows from 50+ public libraries across Rhode Island and gives you digital access to the Ocean State eZone (Libby) and AskRI databases. The library also lends museum passes funded by the Friends of the North Kingstown Free Library for discounted or free admission to participating area museums — ask staff or check the website for current passes.
🎨 This library lends museum passes. See how library museum passes work and find other libraries that lend passes museum passes by state.
📋 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 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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