Johnson Public Library
🏢 Bergen County Cooperative Library System · Hackensack, New Jersey
Johnson Public Library
The Johnson Public Library — named Best Library in Bergen County by 201 Magazine — has served Hackensack from its historic brown Belleville-stone building at 274 Main Street since 1901, when Senator William Johnson donated the structure along with 5,000 books. The library is fine-free, lends museum passes to the Guggenheim, the Intrepid, and Storm King Art Center, and recently opened a renovated Oritani Charitable Foundation Teen & Community Center on its lower level.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–9pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–9pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–9pm |
| Thursday | 9am–9pm |
| Friday | 9am–5pm |
| Saturday | 9am–5pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 274 Main Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601
Phone: (201) 343-4169
Website: johnsonlib.org
Plus Code: 87G7VXP5+RF (Hackensack, NJ)
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👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Johnson Public Library
The Johnson Public Library is Hackensack's public library and the flagship institution of the Bergen County Cooperative Library System (BCCLS). The library traces its origins to 1833, when the Hackensack Library Association first formed, but the modern institution took shape in 1901 when State Senator William Johnson donated both a building and 5,000 books to the city. The original structure — constructed from brown Belleville stone with ivy-covered walls at the corner of Main and Camden Streets — was valued at $60,000 and included a custom weather vane depicting a parchment and quill pen that still crowns the building today. The library made history in November 1902 as one of the first public libraries in the United States to open a dedicated children's room. Senator Johnson's deed included a reversion clause ensuring the building would be used as a library in perpetuity or transferred to Princeton University trustees — a guarantee that has held for over a century. Today the library operates as a fine-free institution, offers free museum passes to New York–area cultural destinations, and recently completed renovation of its lower level into the Oritani Charitable Foundation Teen & Community Center.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Voted Best Library in Bergen County by 201 Magazine — serving Hackensack since 1901
- Historic 1901 Belleville-stone building with the original parchment-and-quill weather vane still in place
- One of the first U.S. public libraries to open a dedicated children's room (November 1902)
- Fine-free library — no overdue fines on books, music, movies, audiobooks, or video games
- Free museum passes to the Guggenheim, Intrepid, Children's Museum of Manhattan, and Storm King Art Center
- New Oritani Charitable Foundation Teen & Community Center on the renovated lower level
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Johnson Public Library cardholders can borrow eBooks and stream media free through BCCLS and New Jersey's statewide digital collections:
📚 Services
- Free museum passes to the Guggenheim, Intrepid, Children's Museum of Manhattan, and Storm King Art Center (Hackensack residents only)
- Fine-free circulation — no late fees on physical materials or video games
- Wireless printing from personal devices
- Study and meeting room reservations
- Library of Things — gadgets and specialty items available for checkout
- Public computers and free Wi-Fi
- Reference and reader's advisory services
🎸 Programs
- Children's programs and storytimes
- Teen and young adult events via the Oritani Teen & Community Center
- Adult Summer Reading program
- Book groups and reading clubs
- Tech help sessions (Tuesday–Thursday, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.)
- English as a Second Language instruction
- Author talks and community lectures
📍 Nearby Libraries in Bergen County, NJ
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Hackensack · Browse all New Jersey libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Johnson Public Library really fine-free?
Yes. The Johnson Public Library does not charge overdue fines on books, music, movies, audiobooks, or video games. This applies to all standard circulating materials. The library encourages returns so other patrons can enjoy the collections, but there are no late fees.
How do I borrow a museum pass from the Johnson Public Library?
Museum passes are available to Hackensack residents with a valid adult Johnson Public Library card (no fines and no overdue items). Passes are checked out and returned at the Reference Desk only and are loaned for three days (checkout day plus two additional days). Current passes include the Guggenheim, the Intrepid, the Children's Museum of Manhattan, and Storm King Art Center. The pass program is funded entirely by the Friends of the Library.
What is the Oritani Teen & Community Center?
The Oritani Charitable Foundation Teen & Community Center is a newly renovated space on the library's lower level, dedicated to teen programming, community gatherings, and activities for all ages. It opened as part of a building renovation funded with support from the Oritani Charitable Foundation.
What were the five attempts to establish the Hackensack public library before it succeeded?
The first attempt was in 1833 with the Hackensack Library Association, followed by a second in 1859 and the Washington Institute's public library in 1871. After further attempts, the library was finally established on a permanent basis in 1901 when Senator William Johnson donated a $60,000 building and 5,000 books — 68 years after the first effort.
🎨 This library lends museum passes. See how library museum passes work and find other libraries that lend passes museum passes 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.
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