Rochester Hills Public Library
🏢 Serving Rochester, Rochester Hills & Oakland Township · Rochester, Michigan
Rochester Hills Public Library
Housed in a 70,000-square-foot brick-and-stone building modeled on Rochester's historic mills, the Rochester Hills Public Library serves Rochester, Rochester Hills and Oakland Township from 500 Olde Towne Road — open until 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, with a makerspace, bookmobile and deep local-history collection.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–9pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–9pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–9pm |
| Thursday | 9am–9pm |
| Friday | 9am–6pm |
| Saturday | 9am–6pm |
| Sunday | 1pm–6pm |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 500 Olde Towne Road, Rochester, MI 48307
Phone: (248) 656-2900
Website: rhpl.org
Plus Code: 86JRMVM9+FW (Rochester, MI)
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👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Rochester Hills Public Library
The Rochester Hills Public Library grew out of the area's earliest reading societies — the Rochester Literary Society of 1872 and the Avon Ladies Library Association — and formally opened as the Avon Township Free Public Library on February 7, 1925, after voters approved a library millage in 1924. For decades it operated as the Woodward Memorial Library, named for benefactor Eva Woodward Parker, before Avon Township incorporated as Rochester Hills in 1984 and the library took its present name. The current 70,000-square-foot building at 500 Olde Towne Road, designed by TMP Associates, was dedicated on November 1, 1992; its red brick and stone echo Rochester's old mills, and the library's logo features the rare grafted Camperdown elm that grows outside. Funded by a dedicated Rochester Hills millage plus service contracts, the library serves the City of Rochester and Oakland Township as well, and its collections and bookmobile reach the whole tri-community area.
⭐ What makes this library special
- 70,000-square-foot 1992 building by TMP Associates, its brick-and-stone design echoing Rochester's historic mills
- Makerspace with equipment and digital tools for crafts, DIY projects and hands-on making
- Bookmobile carrying collections to stops across Rochester, Rochester Hills and Oakland Township
- Oakland Talking Book Service for residents unable to read standard print
- Strong local history, genealogy and citizenship/immigration collections with drop-in genealogy help
- Open until 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday for after-work and after-school visits
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Rochester Hills cardholders can stream, download and research free with these collections:
📚 Services
- Makerspace with digital tools and equipment for crafts and DIY projects
- Bookmobile stops across Rochester, Rochester Hills and Oakland Township
- Oakland Talking Book Service for print-disabled residents
- Local history, genealogy and citizenship/immigration collections with drop-in genealogy help
- Meeting-room and study-room reservations
- Exam and test proctoring
- Home delivery service for homebound residents
- Public computers, printing & free Wi-Fi
🎸 Programs
- Youth, teen and adult programming year-round
- Children's storytimes
- Summer reading challenges
- English conversation groups
- Genealogy and local-history workshops
📍 Nearby Libraries in Metro Detroit
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Rochester · Browse all Michigan libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Rochester Hills Public Library's hours?
The library is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. It closes on major holidays; note that the building's elevator is out for repairs from August into October 2026, so call ahead if you need accessible access during that window.
Who can use the library — do you have to live in Rochester Hills?
The library is funded by a Rochester Hills millage and by service contracts with the City of Rochester and Oakland Township, so residents of all three communities are served. Its bookmobile also makes scheduled stops throughout that tri-community area for people who can't easily reach the Olde Towne Road building.
How old is the library and why does its logo have a tree?
The library dates to 1925 as the Avon Township Free Public Library and was long known as the Woodward Memorial Library before Avon Township became Rochester Hills in 1984. The current building opened November 1, 1992; its logo depicts the rare grafted Camperdown elm growing outside, and the brick-and-stone architecture was designed to recall Rochester's historic mills.
Does the library help with genealogy and local history research?
Yes. Rochester Hills Public Library maintains dedicated local history, genealogy and citizenship/immigration collections and offers drop-in genealogy help, plus access to genealogy databases for cardholders. Michigan residents can also reach statewide records through MeL and Michiganology.
📜 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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