Cotuit Library
The Heart of the Village since 1874
Honoring Our Legacy
Since our founding as the Cotuit Lyceum Society in 1874, Cotuit Library has been an institution of intellectual leadership and an architectural gem. Ensuring our historic building remains a community asset for years to come is a top priority.
Cultivating Community
As a vibrant, central gathering place for Cotuit and the surrounding area, we strive to enhance the community’s social and emotional wellbeing through programs, events, and services.
Inspiring Tomorrow
Supporting Cotuit Library ensures access to unbiased, high-quality resources and imaginative stories. Our commitment to literacy and education helps develop critical thinking and leadership skills to prepare the next generation for success.
Cotuit Library is a non-profit 501(c)3 and depends on the generosity of donors. We welcome all gifts.
> $500 provides supplies for three children’s programs > $50,000 finishes the children’s room
> $1,500 covers building utilities for one month > $150,000 enhances several interior spaces
> $15,000 upgrades windows > $1,500,000 starts an endowment fund
Honoring our Legacy: Stewardship of our Building and Grounds
Our elegant historical building is an asset to our library and the community. As stewards of this beloved public space, we are responsible for upkeep and upgrades to ensure that our building is well cared for, and that our patrons are safe, comfortable, and enjoy using the library. It is important that we anticipate and respond to emerging and expanding uses of libraries so that we can continue to be the “heart of the village.”
Cotuit Library’s first permanent home was in the current entrance room, a former schoolhouse built in 1830 and acquired for the library in 1894. Through the years, notable expansions have allowed the collection to grow. In 1901, renowned architect Guy Lowell created the current Children’s Room. While our distinctive Main Street-facing facade served as the main entrance for many years, in 1963 the library expanded again with a design by Richard Gallagher, creating what is our current reading room and downstairs fiction and non-fiction collection. In 1977, following a gift from the Kirkman family, Cotuit Library added a final addition designed by Philip Minervino. Known today as the Kirkman Extension, or the Art Room, this popular space is used daily for meetings and gatherings.
Cotuit Library’s architecture is a physical manifestation of our mission. Our growth over the years has created more opportunities for us to serve our community, but our building and grounds need preservation, care, and thoughtful reimagining to ensure we continue to provide the best space— and place— for people to gather. As we move into the next 150 years we need your help preserving and upgrading this village treasure.
Cultivating Community: Enhancing the Social Wellbeing of our Friends and Neighbors
As some of the last truly free places in our society for people to gather, libraries have become skilled weavers of a healthy and sustainable cultural fabric. We are institutions that not only offer a wide range of unbiased, diverse books and materials, but we also enhance, advocate for, and support the people and communities in which we exist. Cotuit Library acts as a connector, assisting our friends and neighbors in finding the resources they need— whether that’s free internet access, one-on-one technology help, or even scheduling a vaccine appointment. We offer book clubs, crafting sessions, lectures, luncheons, community-focused social events and more. In this digital age, we make sure that people in our community have what they need to stay socially and emotionally connected.
In today’s rapidly changing social and technological environments, we must ensure that Cotuit Library provides responsive, relevant programs and services to our friends and neighbors. Consider supporting Cotuit Library through a sponsored lecture, music, or program series, or become a sustaining donor and help us expand our services and materials. Your support will allow us to continue to be a vibrant community connector for Cotuit.
Inspiring Leadership: Ensuring Quality and Access for Future Generations
High-quality, diverse books and materials are basic building blocks for learning, at all ages. Now more than ever, we need to preserve access to all information for our youngest and future generations.
During the last two years, libraries across the country have come under scrutiny for providing materials that represent a range of viewpoints. According to the American Libraries Association the number of library book challenges (attempts to remove or restrict library materials) in Massachusetts quadrupled between 2021 and 2022, and continued to rise in 2023. Libraries like Cotuit are some of the last institutions in our society that open their doors wide and remain free for everyone while ensuring access to these essential resources. Without increased forward-looking support, the basic services and materials that we provide could be increasingly at risk. With your help, over time, we dream of building up an endowment so we don’t have to devote 50 to 80% of our time to fundraising to pay this month’s bills, and instead can focus on the core of what we do for our visitors and the community.
Consider joining our Giving Society or making a legacy gift to equip future generations to become our future leaders.