Springfield Free Public Library
🏢 Libraries of Union County · Springfield, New Jersey
Springfield Free Public Library
The Springfield Free Public Library was born in 1931 from a $50 donation by the local Parent-Teacher Association and 1,000 borrowed volumes — it has grown from a single room in the Brookside Building to a full-service township library with museum passes, art exhibits, and more than 20 digital databases through JerseyClicks.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–9pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–5pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–9pm |
| Thursday | 10am–9pm |
| Friday | 10am–5pm |
| Saturday | 10am–5pm |
| Sunday | 1pm–4pm |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 66 Mountain Avenue, Springfield, NJ 07081
Phone: (973) 376-4930
Website: sfplnj.org
Plus Code: 87G7PM5P+JQ (Springfield, NJ)
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👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Springfield Free Public Library
Springfield Free Public Library traces its roots to 1931, when the Springfield Library Association was founded with a $50 donation from the Parent-Teacher Association and about 1,000 volumes housed in the Brookside Building at the corner of Morris and Mountain Avenues. Within its first year the collection had issued roughly 750 library cards. By 1943 the growing library moved to the historic Sarah Bailey House in Church Mall, a 125-year-old structure built by merchant Samuel Bailey and donated to the town after the death of his daughter. The library eventually settled into its current purpose-built home at 66 Mountain Avenue in the heart of Springfield Township, Union County. Today it holds a broad circulating collection, digital access to more than 20 JerseyClicks academic databases (funded by the NJ State Library through IMLS), and a Friends-supported museum pass program granting free entry to venues including the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum and Storm King Art Center. The library joined the Libraries of Middlesex Automation Consortium (LMxAC) in 2017 and participates in reciprocal borrowing with other Union County libraries.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Founded 1931 by the Springfield Parent-Teacher Association with a $50 donation — one of Union County's oldest community libraries
- Early home in the Sarah Bailey House (c. 1818 historic structure) before moving to the current 66 Mountain Avenue building
- Museum Pass Program: free admission to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum (NYC), Storm King Art Center & Morris Museum
- JerseyClicks: 20+ statewide academic databases free for all NJ cardholders, funded by the NJ State Library
- Regular art exhibits, monthly film series and community lectures curated in the library's gallery space
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Springfield cardholders access free eBooks, databases, language learning, and genealogy tools through JerseyClicks and statewide NJ digital resources:
📚 Services
- Library card and catalog borrowing with reciprocal access across Union County libraries
- Museum Pass Program: free admission to Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Storm King Art Center & Morris Museum
- Public computers, printing & free Wi-Fi
- Quiet study rooms and meeting spaces
- Art gallery with rotating exhibitions
- Rosetta Stone language learning — 31 languages free
- Interlibrary loan through LMxAC
- Reference and reader's advisory
🎸 Programs
- Monthly film series
- Book discussion groups
- Chair Yoga for adults (supported by the Friends of SFPL)
- Children's programs supported by the Friends of the Library
- Lectures, demonstrations and concerts
- Summer Reading Program
📍 Nearby Libraries in Union County
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Springfield · Browse all New Jersey libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How was Springfield Free Public Library founded, and where was it originally located?
The library was founded in 1931 by the Springfield Parent-Teacher Association, which donated $50 to start a collection of about 1,000 volumes housed in the Brookside Building at the corner of Morris and Mountain Avenues. Within its first year the library had issued roughly 750 cards. It later moved to the historic Sarah Bailey House in Church Mall before settling at its current home at 66 Mountain Avenue.
What is the museum pass program, and which museums are included?
Thanks to a donation from the Friends of the Springfield Free Public Library, cardholders can check out museum passes for free admission to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City, Storm King Art Center in Orange County, NY, and the Morris Museum in Morris Township, NJ. Passes are available at the circulation desk.
What are JerseyClicks and how do I access them?
JerseyClicks is a statewide program funded by the New Jersey State Library through IMLS that gives every NJ library cardholder free access to more than 20 academic databases — covering genealogy (Ancestry.com), business (Reference Solutions), language learning (Transparent Language) and academic research. You can access them from the library website with your card number.
Is the library open on Sundays, and which evenings does it stay open late?
Yes — the library is open Sunday from 1 pm to 4 pm. It also stays open until 9 pm on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Tuesday, Friday and Saturday hours are 10 am to 5 pm.
🎨 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 study rooms. See how library study rooms work — booking, time limits and quiet vs group rooms — and find other libraries with study rooms libraries with study rooms by state.
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