Libraries in West Dennis
West Dennis Free Public Library serves 1,344 people in and around West Dennis. Last year it lent 13K books, movies and e-books and logged 9,427 visits.
West Dennis’s library, in brief
Mostly paid for by gifts, not taxes
59% of the library’s income comes from gifts, endowments, fees and other sources, not taxes. Local taxes cover 37%. What your card is worth ↓
Five times the programs of a typical library its size
West Dennis Free Public Library ran 403 programs last year, about 8 a week. That’s 300 per 1,000 residents, against a typical 60. People show up: 2,925 attended. Kids & programs ↓
A small-town library
West Dennis Free Public Library serves 1,344 residents with about one full-time staff, open about 23 hours a week. It’s compared only with libraries serving under 2,500 people, because per-person numbers always look big in a small town. A year at the library ↓
Programs lean toward adults
97% of the 403 programs last year were for adults: classes, talks, clubs and events. 12 were for children. Kids & programs ↓
This summary is written from the numbers on this page. Numbers are the library’s own report to the Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024; in a town this small, one busy program or a few avid readers move the per-resident numbers.
403 programs a year
Story times, clubs, classes and events, by who they’re for.
Programs last year by age group
story times and programs a week for ages 0–5, on average.
Books and media off the shelf
13K print loans last year. The library didn’t report its e-book and e-audiobook loans.
Each of the 15K books and other items on the shelves went out about 0.8 time last year, on average.
Borrow from home with your card, plus research databases: courses, journals, genealogy and more.
Every hour the doors are open, about 11 items go out
Fiscal year 2024. The library’s own count.
For every $1 it spends, the library lends about $2.35 worth
Set what you’d borrow in a month. It starts at what the average West Dennis cardholder borrows.
Typical for a library this size: $54. Operating budget $102K.
Last year the library lent and hosted about $240K worth of books, e-books, programs and Wi-Fi on a $102K budget.
Fine-free. No late fees on books returned late.
Retail prices are typical, rounded down: a new book $17, a kids’ book $12, an e-book or e-audiobook $15, a movie rental $4, a class or program $10, a computer or Wi-Fi session $3. The average cardholder’s month = the library’s yearly loans, attendance and Wi-Fi sessions ÷ its 946 cardholders ÷ 12.
2 places to borrow in West Dennis
West Dennis Free Public Library, 260 Main Street, West Dennis.
No late fees. E-books and audiobooks from home. Loans renew on their own if no one’s waiting. Research databases: courses, journals, genealogy.
New in West Dennis? The Handbook →Hours are the survey’s yearly average. Check the library’s own site for today’s hours.
Other libraries in West Dennis
Ahead of most similar-size libraries on 4 of 7 measures
Per resident, against libraries serving under 2,500 people across the U.S. A tiny town’s library always looks busier per person, so it’s only compared with its own size.
library systems for visits per resident.
West Dennis Free Public Library serves 1,344 people, so it’s measured against U.S. libraries serving under 2,500.
Libraries next door
West Dennis ranks 2nd of 5 for borrowing per resident. Tap a town to see its library.
| Town | Library | Loans per resident | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dennis | Dennis Memorial Library Assoc. fine-free | 31.1 | 34 |
| West Dennis | West Dennis Free Public Library fine-free | 9.6 | 23 |
| Dennis Port | Dennis Public Library | 7.9 | 37 |
| South Yarmouth | Yarmouth Town Libraries fine-free | 5.1 | 76 |
| Yarmouth | Yarmouth Town Libraries fine-free | 5.1 | 76 |
| South Dennis | None of its own | — | — |
Loans = print + digital items borrowed in the library’s fiscal year, per person it serves. — = no library of its own, a county or regional system (its numbers cover many towns), or no report.
About these numbers
From the Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024.
- Hours are an average. The survey reports a building’s public hours for the whole year. We divide by the weeks it was open, so check the library’s own site for today’s hours.
- Compared by size. “Similar-size” means libraries serving about as many people, nationwide. Per-resident numbers always flatter the smallest towns, so they’re never compared with big cities.
- The library’s own count. Libraries report their own visits, loans and programs. A library that didn’t respond keeps its address and hours here, with no numbers.
Book talk
Reading, story times and the library in West Dennis.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Libraries: Institute of Museum and Library Services, Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024. Each library reports its own numbers. Distances are straight-line from the town center. “What your card is worth” uses typical retail prices and is an estimate, not an official figure.