Photo: Smallbones · Public domainDennis Township has no public library of its own; the nearest is Woodbine Branch in Woodbine, 2 miles away
Dennis Township doesn’t have a public library of its own. The closest is Woodbine Branch in Woodbine, 2 miles away. Many small-town libraries give cards to neighbors, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead.
A−Civic lifeAhead of 76% of U.S. towns · #104 of 466 in New Jersey. Nonprofits and volunteering.Getting a library card from Dennis Township
Dennis Township borrows from the libraries next door
Dennis Township has no public library of its own, but four libraries are within 10 miles, the closest being Woodbine Branch in Woodbine (2 miles). Many small-town libraries give cards to people from neighboring towns, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead. Nearest libraries ↓
Dennis Township isn’t the only town nearby without one
Maurice River Township, South Dennis and Belleplain don’t have a public library of their own either. Among the towns next door, Middle Township (Cape May County Library), Upper Township (Upper Cape Branch) and Sea Isle City (Sea Isle City Branch) do. Libraries next door ↓
The closest isn’t the one open longest
Woodbine Branch is nearest, open about 42 hours a week. Cape May County Library, 8.5 miles away, is open about 70 hours a week, so it may be easier to fit in. Nearest libraries ↓
The nearby libraries are all fine-free
None of the four closest libraries charges late fines. Nearest libraries ↓
This summary is written from the numbers on this page. Distances are straight-line from the town center.
What’s behind Dennis Township’s civic life grade
On community nonprofits and volunteering, Dennis Township is ahead of 76% of U.S. towns, #104 of 466 in New Jersey. Dennis Township is graded on two of the three inputs. Both inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of younger adults in volunteering groups ranks highest.
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 →
24 community nonprofits are registered in Dennis Township
3.9 per 1,000 residents, against a U.S. town median of 3.7. The largest group: civic groups, clubs & veterans.
Community nonprofits, by kind
Counted from the IRS list of tax-exempt organizations by mailing address (fractions where a ZIP code spans towns). Congregations are counted apart (8 here), since whether a church registers depends on its denomination, not the town.
10.3%
10.3% of Dennis Township’s Facebook users aged 25–44 belong to a volunteering or activism group, against 7.2% in the typical New Jersey town and 7.5% nationally.
Volunteering: Social Capital Atlas (Opportunity Insights), from data by Meta Platforms, Inc.; Chetty et al., Nature 2022. ZIP-code figures, weighted by where Dennis Township’s residents live; 2022.
The closest is 2 miles away
Closest first, measured from the center of Dennis Township. Each one’s hours, and whether it charges late fines.
Libraries next door
Who has a library of their own, and how much each town borrows. Tap a town to see its library.
| Town | Library | Loans per resident | Hours | Civic life |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Township | Cape May County Library fine-free | — | 70 | B+ |
| Upper Township | Upper Cape Branch fine-free | — | 48 | A |
| Sea Isle City | Sea Isle City Branch fine-free | — | 52 | B |
| Woodbine | Woodbine Branch fine-free | — | 42 | C+ |
| Maurice River Township | None of its own | — | — | — too few inputs |
| South Dennis | None of its own | — | — | — graded as part of its town |
| Belleplain | None of its own | — | — | — under 1,000 residents |
| Ocean View | None of its own | — | — | — under 1,000 residents |
| Seaville | None of its own | — | — | — graded as part of its town |
| Dennisville | None of its own | — | — | — under 1,000 residents |
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.
- 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.
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 Dennis Township
Does Dennis Township have a public library?
No. The closest is Woodbine Branch in Woodbine, 2 miles from the town center. Many libraries give cards to people from neighboring towns, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead.
What is Dennis Township’s civic life grade?
A− Dennis Township is ahead of 76% of U.S. towns on civic life, #104 of 466 in New Jersey. The grade combines library visits per resident, community nonprofits per 1,000 residents and the share of adults 25–44 in volunteering groups. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Book talk
Reading, story times and the library in Dennis Township.
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.