Kearny Public Library
🏢 PALS Plus · Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny Public Library
Built in 1907 with a Carnegie grant and designed by Davis, McGrath & Kiessling, the Kearny Public Library stands as one of New Jersey's surviving Carnegie libraries — its upper floor housing the volunteer-run Kearny Museum, which preserves photographs, war memorabilia, and artifacts tied to the town's namesake, Civil War Major General Philip Kearny.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–6pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–6pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–8pm |
| Thursday | 10am–6pm |
| Friday | 10am–6pm |
| Saturday | 10am–3pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 318 Kearny Avenue, Kearny, NJ 07032
Phone: (201) 998-2666
Website: kearnylibrary.org
Plus Code: 87G7QV62+Q2 (Kearny, NJ)
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👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Kearny Public Library
The Kearny Public Library has served this Hudson County town since 1907, when Andrew Carnegie's philanthropic library program funded its construction at 318 Kearny Avenue. The red-brick Carnegie building — designed by the firm Davis, McGrath & Kiessling — holds a collection of nearly 77,000 volumes and circulates over 79,000 items each year to a community of roughly 40,000 residents. A branch at 759 Kearny Avenue extends service to the town's north end. Beyond books, the library is home to the Kearny Museum, which mounts rotating exhibitions on local history and culture and keeps a remarkable archive of school yearbooks dating to the 1920s and business directories reaching back to the late 1800s. As a member of the PALS Plus consortium, a Kearny card also opens a wide suite of digital resources around the clock.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Carnegie library built 1907 — one of New Jersey's surviving Carnegie buildings, designed by Davis, McGrath & Kiessling
- Kearny Museum on the upper floor: Civil War General Philip Kearny artifacts, photographs, school yearbooks from the 1920s, and 19th-century directories
- Two locations: main at 318 Kearny Ave and a branch at 759 Kearny Ave serving the north end of town
- Collection of nearly 77,000 volumes with annual circulation exceeding 79,000 items
- Extended Wednesday hours until 8 pm for after-work visits
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Kearny cardholders can read, stream, and research free through the PALS Plus consortium and New Jersey's statewide digital collections:
📚 Services
- Kearny Museum (upper floor) — local history exhibitions, Civil War memorabilia, vintage yearbooks and directories
- Museum passes for community attractions
- Public computers, email printing (iOS and Android), and free Wi-Fi
- ESL and citizenship classes through NJ Literacy
- Job search tools: Job & Career Accelerator and JobNow live coaching
- Interlibrary loan through the PALS Plus consortium
- Library card for in-person checkout and full digital access
🎸 Programs
- Children's storytime, yoga, chalk art and crafts
- "Ms. Q's Kitchen" cooking demonstrations
- "30 Poems in 30 Days" — virtual readings by the library's resident poet
- Virtual concerts and science observation events
- Book clubs and reader's advisory
- Film festival screenings
📍 Nearby Libraries in Hudson & Essex Counties
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Kearny Public Library a Carnegie library, and what year was it built?
Yes. The Kearny Public Library was built in 1907 with funding from Andrew Carnegie's philanthropic library program and designed by the architectural firm Davis, McGrath & Kiessling. It is one of the few Carnegie library buildings still in use in New Jersey.
What is the Kearny Museum, and is it open to the public?
The Kearny Museum occupies the upper floor of the main library building at 318 Kearny Avenue. It mounts exhibitions on the history and culture of the town, with a collection that includes photographs, clothing, war memorabilia, and artifacts related to Civil War Major General Philip Kearny — the town's namesake. Museum hours are Wednesday 5–6:30 pm and Saturday 10 am–12:30 pm; it is closed in summer.
Does the Kearny Public Library have a second location?
Yes. A branch library at 759 Kearny Avenue is open Tuesday–Thursday 10 am–5 pm, serving the north end of town. The main library at 318 Kearny Avenue is open Monday–Friday (Wed until 8 pm) and Saturday morning.
What digital resources come free with a Kearny library card?
Kearny cardholders get free access to Libby eBooks and audiobooks through the PALS Plus consortium, Freegal Music (stream millions of songs), Brainfuse live tutoring, Blinkist book summaries, Tumblebooks for children, Rocket Languages, Heritage Hub genealogy databases, World Book Online, and Star Ledger archives — available 24/7 at no cost.
🎨 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 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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