"An instrument that brings quality of life to our community." That is how former mayor Don Rains described the Princeton Public Library when he spoke at its open house this year. Patrons, members of Princeton Area Library Supporters, local officials and relatives of the people who kept a free library going in Princeton for decades all came out for it.
The new room at 106 N. Center St. is about 2,000 square feet, and the doors are open 17 hours a week. Those two numbers make it look modest. A third fact changes the picture. Princeton's card connects to a courier route linking six independent libraries across Johnston County. That makes the building on Center Street the closest pickup counter for a collection far bigger than anything that fits inside it. When those 17 hours fall in the week ends up mattering more than how many books are on the shelves.
Fifty Years of Borrowed Rooms
The library got here slowly. In the 1970s it started out in a trailer. Later it moved into a back room of the old community center, and after that it shared space with the local high school.
The Town announced a public ribbon cutting for the new Community Center and Public Library on Friday, December 12, 2025, at 10 a.m., at 107 N. Pearl St. Johnston Now reported on February 3, 2026, that the library was open again in its new space on Center Street.
The money behind the building came from several places. Johnston Now's September 2026 feature credits community fundraisers and state grants for the community center. Back in October 2023, JoCo Report wrote that the Town had received $315,000 from the North Carolina General Assembly to build it. A joint planning report from the Town and PALS lists pledges of $20,000 toward the capital campaign for the library's naming rights. It also lists $30,000 toward operating costs for at least the first three years. Those are pledges from the planning stage, and nobody has published a final total for the project. The pattern still shows, though: the library's own supporters put up real money toward keeping it running.
Seventeen Hours, Spread Across Five Days
The posted schedule shapes everything else about using this library.
| Day | Open | What's regularly on |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 4 to 7 p.m. | Spanish Story Time on the last Monday of the month |
| Tuesday | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Weekly themed Story Time for children before first grade |
| Wednesday | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | General hours |
| Thursday | 3 to 6 p.m. | Book club on the fourth Thursday at 7 p.m., per the library |
| Friday | 3 to 6 p.m. | Family Game Day |
| Saturday and Sunday | Closed |
The library has no weekend hours, and its only evening hours are the Monday window. Tuesday and Wednesday mornings work well for families with toddlers. The Thursday and Friday afternoon slots fit the end of a school day.
Book club is the one schedule worth checking twice. The library's homepage says it meets on the fourth Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. The Town's library page lists the second Tuesday at 7 p.m. instead. The library's own page is likely the more current of the two. The book club's Facebook group, linked from the library homepage, is the place to confirm.
Story time doesn't stay inside the building, either. Librarian Aimee also leads Story Time at the local Head Start and a daycare twice a month.
Why the Card Matters More Than the Shelf
Princeton is one of six Johnston County Affiliated Libraries. The affiliates' shared website states it directly: "We are not a library system with branches." Each library is its own institution, run by its own community, and hours and programs differ from one to the next. The same page lists Princeton by name at 106 North Center Street.
The six libraries share a card and an online catalog through NC Cardinal. A regular courier runs between them, so a patron can request an item from another affiliate and then pick it up or return it at whichever location is most convenient. For someone in Princeton, that means a book sitting on a shelf in Smithfield can end up at the desk on Center Street. Here's how it works:
- Get the card. The Public Library of Johnston County and Smithfield says a full-service card is issued in person. You'll need a photo ID showing your current address, or a photo ID plus proof of address.
- Search the shared catalog. The Princeton library's homepage links straight to the Johnston NC Cardinal catalog.
- Place a hold and pick Princeton for pickup. PLJCS's NC Cardinal policy lets patrons place holds on items from affiliates and other NC Cardinal libraries and have them sent to the home library they choose.
- Pick up during Princeton's hours. This is where the schedule in the table above comes back in.
- Use the digital side whenever you like. The shared card includes Libby for e-books and audiobooks, plus online databases through NC LIVE.
The building's real limit is time, not how much it can stock. The courier brings in the selection, and the 17 hours decide when you can collect it.
What's on the October Calendar
The library's calendar for this month gives a good sense of a typical week.
- Tuesday story times, 10 to 11 a.m., with seasonal themes that include "Pumpkins," and "Spooky" on Tuesday, October 27.
- Spanish Story Time on Monday, October 26, from 10 to 11 a.m.
- Family Game Night on Fridays from 3 to 6 p.m. Bring a favorite game from home or borrow one from the library's game shelf.
- Princeton Pen & Ink, a writing club, on Monday, October 19, from 5 to 7 p.m. A local writer leads each meeting, which includes time to write from prompts, time to read aloud and optional peer review.
- Sit & Stitch, a monthly drop-in meetup for knitters, crocheters and other yarn and thread crafters, hosted by the library and two local crafters.
The live calendar runs through October 31. November and December programs haven't been posted yet.
The Parts Still Being Finished
The building is open but not finished. The Tech Zone has two working public computers right now, and PALS is raising money for new computers and laptops. Visitors get free Wi-Fi, and cardholders can use fax and printing, with the printing fees going toward ink.
Joy Woodard, a longtime advocate and fundraiser for the library, told Johnston Now that the next goals are to finish furnishing the space and to keep the library open more hours. Those goals tie straight back to the courier. Every hour added to the schedule is another hour when county-wide holds can be picked up in town.
PALS has paid for this kind of work with annual memberships, spaghetti dinners, raffles and community donations. Its events page also lists a puzzle-race fundraiser and a brunch with local author Donna Everhart. The group has run a book sale and library booth at Princeton's Fall Festival in the past. To get involved, you can fill out the volunteer form on the PALS website. The Town's page also says to stop by the library or call Hope Dougherty at 919-936-9996, and notes that PALS meets monthly.
The Room on the Other Side of the Wall
The Town of Princeton Community Center shares the building and is available for both public and private events. The Town's rental agreement lists the address as 107 N. Pearl St. but also mentions 106 N. Center St., so confirm which entrance to use when you book.
Rates posted on the Town's site as of November 6, 2025, were $100 for an in-town weekday morning or afternoon and $175 for an in-town weekday all day, with separate weekend rates. Renters must be at least 21 and need a valid driver's license and a credit-card deposit. The agreement can be downloaded from the Town's page. Since the rate table is nearly a year old, call Town Hall at 919-936-8171 to check current prices and open dates.
Two town events are coming up soon. The Princeton Volunteer Fire Department's 17th annual Feel the Burn 5K & 10K starts Saturday, October 10, at 6 p.m., with check-in from 4:30 p.m. at 501 Dr. Donnie Jones Jr. Blvd. W. Proceeds support the volunteer department. The Princeton Christmas Parade, presented by the Princeton Women's Improvement Club, is on Saturday, December 5. The Town lists a 1 p.m. start, but the Johnston County Visitors Bureau lists 11 a.m., so check the time closer to the day.
At The Thomas Parker Realty Group, we keep track of the places that shape a Princeton week, from the library desk on Center Street to the rental calendar next door. If you own a home in town and want to know what it's worth right now, get your free home valuation from a team that knows Princeton well.
