Davisville Free Library: A Town Jewel

The Davisville Free Library is just the sort of small-town library you would invent if it wasn't already there. Quaint, clean, bright and friendly, the Davisville Free Library provides library services but it provides something more in this northern part of North Kingstown. It provides a place for the community to meet. 

That's no small thing for residents, since it is the only public building in the area. 

"Our goal is to be your friendly neighborhood library and community center for this part of town," said Sarah Ornstein, librarian at Davisville since 2004. "You're seeing the same few friendly faces every time you come in. People get to know us. People come in just for conversation. It's a nice service to offer, especially for the elderly."

But, of course, it's still a library. In addition to the book collection, there's internet access, and areas for quiet study and meetings. 

Davisville Free Library first opened as a reading room in 1917, run by a local teacher. The actual library building on Davisville Road came a few years later, funded largely by the Davis family. 

In many ways, it is the northern cousin to Willet Free Library in Saunderstown. Both receive only a small part of their budget from the Town of North Kingstown, unlike the much larger municipal North Kingstown Free Library in Wickford. For the rest of their budgets, both libraries depend on grants and donations. 

To that end, Davisville Free Library is holding a trivia contest Saturday night at Driscoll Hall at St. Francis de Sales Church on School Street. Teams will be made up of tables of eight – people are welcome to bring a whole team, a friend or two, or will be matched with other attendees. There will be two "trivia masters" for the evening, Elaine Jaworski and Roberta Humble. Ms. Jaworski, a retired educator and businesswoman, is a popular trivia master from the Atlanta, Georgia, area; Roberta Humble, a CCRI English professor, is known for her books and trivia games that challenge players’ knowledge of what’s unique about little Rhody.  

The trivia contest goes from 7 to 10 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 5. A $20 per person donation is requested. You can learn more about the trivia night here.

To learn more about Davisville Free Library, check out their website here.