New Hours at Oak Lawn

The Cranston Public Library is making a difficult but necessary adjustment to the hours of operation at the Oaklawn Branch effective July 1 due to ongoing budget constraints. Like many public institutions, the Cranston Public Library is facing financial challenges that impact our ability to sustain current service levels across all locations. While we remain deeply committed to our mission of strengthening and empowering the Cranston community through accessible public resources and lifelong learning opportunities, the FY26 City of Cranston budget does not fully support the operational needs of the library.

After considering the budget situation, patterns of usage, and geographic distribution of services, we have made the decision to reduce hours at the Oaklawn branch in a targeted effort to preserve core services systemwide and minimize disruption. The new hours will be:

Monday - 1 pm-5 pm

Tuesday - 1 pm-5 pm

Wednesday - 10 am-5 pm

Thursday - closed

Friday - 10 am-5 pm

Saturday - closed

The Oaklawn Branch will now open later on Mondays and Tuesdays, and be closed Saturdays. The Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday schedule remain the same, and Wednesday and Friday storytimes are unaffected. Although Oaklawn will now be closed on Saturdays, the Central Library, Auburn Branch, and the William Hall Library offer full library services on Saturday across the city.

Our staff will continue to be available to help patrons access materials, programs, and services during these times.