Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0West Dennis’ library runs 300 programs per 1,000 residents, against a typical 60 for libraries its size
West Dennis Free Public Library serves 1,344 people in and around West Dennis. Last year it lent 13K print books and media 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.
What’s behind West Dennis’ civic life grade
West Dennis isn’t graded on civic life: TownRatings grades towns of 1,000 residents or more.
Civic life counts registered nonprofits, library visits and online volunteering groups, so it can miss civic life that runs through congregations, mutual aid or neighbors looking out for each other.
Library visits: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024. Nonprofits: IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File, October 2026. Volunteering: Social Capital Atlas (Opportunity Insights), from data by Meta Platforms, Inc.; Chetty et al., Nature 2022. How TownRatings grades civic life →
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.
Ahead of most similar-size libraries on 6 of 7 measures
Per resident, against libraries serving under 2,500 people across the U.S.
West Dennis Free Public Library serves 1,344 people, so it’s measured against U.S. libraries serving under 2,500.
Every hour the doors are open, about 11 items go out
Fiscal year 2024. The library’s own count.
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.
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
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.
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 | Civic life |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dennis | Dennis Memorial Library Assoc. fine-free | 31.1 | 34 | B+ |
| West Dennis | West Dennis Free Public Library fine-free | 9.6 | 23 | — graded as part of its town |
| Dennis Port | Dennis Public Library | 7.9 | 37 | — graded as part of its town |
| South Yarmouth | Yarmouth Town Libraries fine-free | 5.1 | 76 | — graded as part of its town |
| Yarmouth | Yarmouth Town Libraries fine-free | 5.1 | 76 | B |
| South Dennis | None of its own | — | — | — graded as part of its town |
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. Civic life: — = not graded (unincorporated places, whose nonprofits can’t be placed by mailing address, or towns with fewer than two of the three inputs).
What this data can and can’t tell you
From the Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024.
- Digital loans not reported. Massachusetts libraries often don’t report e-book loans, so borrowing here is print only.
Hours are the survey’s yearly average; libraries are compared with others serving about as many people. How TownRatings uses library figures →
Questions about the library and civic life in West Dennis
Does West Dennis have a public library?
Yes. West Dennis Free Public Library, 260 Main Street, serves 1,344 people in and around West Dennis (the survey’s count) and is open about 23 hours a week, averaged over the year.
Is West Dennis Free Public Library fine-free? Does it lend e-books?
Yes to both: no late fees, and e-books, audiobooks and research databases with a card (the library’s 2024 survey report).
How busy is West Dennis’ library?
It logged 7.0 visits and lent 9.6 print items per resident in 2024, against a typical 3.5 visits for libraries serving under 2,500 people.
What is West Dennis’ civic life grade?
West Dennis isn’t graded on civic life: TownRatings grades towns of 1,000 residents or more. How it works.
Book talk
Reading, story times and the library in West Dennis.
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.