Daily Trivia

Each weekday of our closure, we will post a fun trivia question for all of you!

Thursday, April 2nd: 
Hans Christian Andersen was born on this day in 1805. Which of these tales was NOT written by Andersen?

A. The Little Mermaid
B. The Ugly Duckling
C. Cinderella
D. The Emperor's New Clothes

You can read many of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales for free as part of our "Always Available" eBook collection from Libby/OverDrive!

Wednesday, April 1st:
People in France traditionally stick cutouts of what kind of creature onto people's backs on April first as an April Fools prank?

A. Pigs
B. Fish
C. Goats
D. Monkeys

Find the answer and other interesting April Fool's Day stories in this article, freely available from our online databases. Visit the databases on our "Research Help" page to find more fascinating articles.

Check back on tomorrow afternoon for the answer and for your next trivia question!

Personalized Book Recommendations

The worst part about finishing a book is having to find another that was just as good, or better, than the last. Finding your next great read can be a challenge! To help you, we have created an easy way for you to get personalized book suggestions from a librarian. 

Simply fill out the quick survey form and a librarian will get back to you in 2-3 business days with book suggestions just for you! 

We hope you take advantage of this new service, because we love sharing book suggestions and would love to help you find your next great read!

COVID-19 Digital Archive

Help us with our Digital Archive

While we all work through these unprecedented times together, we want to offer you a chance to reflect on the day-to-day experiences faced by you and your families. In the future, historians, archivists, and museums will want to know what life was like during this crisis. In addition to news reports, legislation and official documents, personal records of daily life will be important in understanding this crisis and how we made it through. 

Dennis Public Library is working to create a COVID-19 Digital Archive, including the experiences of our community members, in real-time. To participate, you can create a digital daily journal, or submit photos of your daily activities.

Record a digital daily journal:

We have created a Google Sheets template, adapted from the great folks at the Framingham Historical Center, for anyone who wants to record a line-a-day journal during the duration of the pandemic (and beyond). Although you are not obligated to submit your journal to the DPL’s COVID-19 Digital Archive, if you live or work in Dennis, we would greatly appreciate if you considered doing so.

Completed journals can be emailed to den_mail@clamsnet.org for inclusion in the Digital Archive.

Please Note: If you do not have a Google account, you can still save the template as an Excel spreadsheet.

Line-a-day journal template

Submit your photos:

If you would prefer, you can email photos of your daily experiences during the pandemic to den_mail@clamsnet.org, with the subject "Digital Archive" for inclusion.  

Please include your name, a title for the image, and a description. 

By submitting an image or journal, you agree to make it an unrestricted gift to the Dennis Public Library's COVID-19 Digital Archives which can be used for many purposes including, but not limited to, community access and enrichment, and scholarly research.

Create a Magical Creature

Director Cindy says Hello! Let me introduce you to one of my favorite friends. He's pink, which is my favorite color. He has a happy smile, which I love to see. And he has wings to fly. What's better than flying?

I would like to invite kids of all ages to create their own magical creature. Does he or she have shaggy fur and big teeth? Does he or she have a special ability like running backwards or spelling perfectly all the time?

You can draw your favorite magical creature and email us a photo or scan of your picture. You can also describe your new friend with words. We are going to have a gallery on our website where your work will be displayed. Thanks for joining the fun! Send your work to our email address at den_mail@clamsnet.org

Due to COVID-19 the Town of Dennis has ordered the closure of its municipal buildings, including Dennis Public Library. This closure will take effect on Tuesday, March 17th until further notice.

Please check out our website as we engage with our patrons online with other resource options.

We want all of our patrons to stay safe and healthy. At this time, all other Dennis libraries are closed as well.

Library staff will be available to answer questions via email. Please send questions to den_mail@clamsnet.org.

Please keep checked out items until the libraries reopen. All due dates have been extended. Any late charges will be waived.

Book Donations

We are not able to accept book donations at this time. 

We appreciate the generosity of everyone who has donated their books to the library for the Friends' of the Library ongoing book sale.

We have taken in so many donations that we are currently out of storage space. 

Please give us a call in a month or two to find out when we will be accepting donations again. 

POSTPONED~ Storyteller of Cape Cod: New England Hi-STORIES

This event has been postponed. 

Stories and folktales have many different origins, and none are so intriguing as those whose origins are rooted in the truth! Many of the tales of New England began with real people and places, and sometimes the lives of these people are more interesting than the stories they inspired! 

In this program, Jenny Lee uses examples of New England folktales based on real history, and her skills as a storyteller and a historian to show you how reality can turn into legend and how to find the truth behind the tale. 

Who are the real people behind the legendary characters? Which parts of the story really happened and which are created over time? Learn the role that oral traditions play in preserving local histories! Peek behind the storyteller’s curtain, and learn how some of New England’s richest histories turned into some of her most thrilling tales!

Jenny Lee is a history teacher, folklorist and storyteller from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. It was here during her childhood that she first heard the old folktales of Cape Cod and New England, sparking a life-long passion for local history, folklore, and storytelling. A member of the Northeast Storytelling Alliance, she specializes in the folktales and histories of New England. 

Ireland: The Land of St. Patrick

Saturday, March 14th at 12:00

Join us for a presentation from Irish historian Sean Murphy. He will bring you into the world of Irish music, dance, comedy, and songs through the work of some of Ireland's greatest entertainers and its emerging pool of talent.

This event will be a multi-media presentation and will give a cultural and social history of Ireland. Fun for the entire family. There will also be a short historical narrative of the life and times of Saint Patrick.

Sean Murphy was born and reared in Dublin and came to live on Cape Cod in 2005. He has a passion for his homeland and loves to share his knowledge and interest through classes, workshops and conversation. He is a teacher of Irish history, music, and dance.

He currently teaches courses at the Irish Cultural Center of New England in Canton, Cape Cod Sons of Erin, and the Cape Cod Cultural Center.