James River Valley Library System was established in 2009 when Alfred Dickey Public Library and Stutsman County Library were legally combined following a successful unification vote in 2008.

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Alfred Dickey Public Library has a rich history of service that reaches back to the early days of the twentieth century. Alfred Dickey, who had served as the first Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota, founded the library as a reading room in 1901. His son Alfred E. Dickey led the successful effort for a dedicated library building, with the library being completed in February 1919.

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One of the early patrons of our library was Louis L’Amour, who went on to become a world-famous author of Western stories. In his memoir Education of a Wandering Man, L’Amour stated, “The foundation of my education was laid there [at Alfred Dickey Library], and I learned not only how to use a library but what unexpected riches may lie hidden away on dusty shelves.”

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Alfred Dickey Public Library underwent an extensive restoration culminating in its Centennial Celebration in February 2019.

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Stutsman County Library was a pioneer of bookmobile service in the State of North Dakota, purchasing the first bookmobile in the state in 1954.

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James River Valley Library System is committed to providing the residents of Stutsman County with the highest level of service to inform, enrich, and empower through programs, technology, and information services.