Situated on the second floor of the Harris Institute Building on Main Street, the Harris Institute Library opened its doors to the public on October 3, 1868. The Harris Institute Library has the distinction of being the first subscription-free public library in the state of Rhode Island. The library was located directly below Harris Hall, where Abraham Lincoln delivered an anti-slavery address in 1860. The founder of the library was Mr. Edward Harris, who was a noted Woonsocket woolen manufacturer and philanthropist.

The library outgrew its space in the Harris Institute Building and a modern library was built at its current location. The new library was dedicated on October 20, 1974 and renamed the Woonsocket Harris Public Library. The building was designed in a style to capture the essence of Woonsocket’s historic mills situated along the major industrial river in the Blackstone River Valley, the Birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. The library quickly became a hub for community activity and a major expansion and renovation project commenced with a Grand Reopening celebration held on October 19, 2001.