Library History

Established in 1920, the West Dennis Free Public Library has provided over 100 years of service to the Dennis Community. Initially operating out of a private home, the West Dennis Library Association built a small one-room structure on Rt. 28 in 1924. Expanded in 1961, the library saw its biggest change come in 2003 when it bought the former Ruth Lee Dress Shop next door and tripled its usable space.

Still warm and inviting, the new building provides more of everything… more parking, more reading room, more materials, and is handicap accessible. The second floor offers room for programs, exhibits, and public meeting space.

Since the move, the West Dennis Free Public Library has grown in every way. Our size, inventory, circulation and patronage have all increased. September of 2004 we expanded our daily hours, and in February of 2009 added Sunday hours to expand our services even further.

Historically, 4 of the villages within the town of Dennis have had their own separate “Village Library”. These included the Dennis Memorial Library in Dennis Village, Jacob Sears Memorial Library in East Dennis, South Dennis Free Public Library, and us. In the late 1990s there was a movement in town to build one new large central town library. This concept failed at town meeting because our citizens wisely recognized that our small village library system was a gem, providing an important part of the quality of life for our town. Many grassroots community projects have come from small gatherings of library patrons who are well aware that our local village libraries offer much more to our residents than just books. These small libraries are a wonderful place for people to meet and exchange news and information. In September 2005, a fifth "village" library was constructed in Dennis Port which is fully funded by the town. The Dennis Library System was created in order to support each other and share resources. The West Dennis Free Public Library only receives about half our operating budget from the Town of Dennis and relies on donors for the remainder.