Provincetown Public Library, 356 Commercial Street

 

In April 2005, the new Provincetown Public Library opened in the former Heritage Museum building bringing new life to this magnificent 1861 wooden structure. Inside, the Library is bright, spacious and designed to retain the feeling of the grand open spaces of the former church. The Library now occupies two main levels and a mezzanine and looks forward to future expansion space for the Library’s collection in the lower level.

Seating on the mezzanine offers magnificent views of Provincetown Harbor. The railings of the dual historic entrance staircases have been repaired and are now embraced by local artist John Dowd’s magnificent mural of the building and harbor skyline in moonlight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are two quiet reading rooms for the traditional Library patron as well as wireless Internet access and personal computers for those with hi-tech requirements. On the first floor, much of the collection is contained in custom-built cases that were constructed by Provincetown master carpenter Bill Ingraham as a gift to the Town. The unique feature of these cases is that they re-use the mahogany arm rests from the church pews found in the basement sand before renovation.

Located downtown on the center of Commercial Street, the Library is heavily used and the wonderful space and light from the large windows is appreciated by patrons and visitors of all ages. In 2007, 172,000 people visited the library and borrowed 61,586 books. The Library now houses more than 36,000 volumes as well as more than 30 works of art, including the 1907 silver Lipton Cup, from the Town’s Art Collection.

 

 

 

 


One of the long-term goals of the Library Trustees is to incorporate as much of the Heritage Museum’s collection into the new Library as possible. Today, the half-scale model of the Rose Dorothea sits in the center of the Library’s Children’s Room and a small, climate-controlled room to house the Josephine C. Del Deo Heritage Archives (the documents and photographs from the Heritage Collection) is located in the lower level.