Policies & FAQs

Long Range Plan of Service 2027-2032

Sturgis Library writes a Long Range Plan of Service every 5 years or so. The Plan outlines our goals, objectives, and actions, and allows us to address the needs of our patrons and our community. During the planning process, we seek input from the Board, staff, volunteers, and neighborhood stakeholders. You can read the latest Plan HERE.

Collection Development Policy

Sturgis Library’s Collection Development policy establishes guidelines for the purchase and acquisition of library materials, the acceptance of gift materials for our collections, and the removal of items from the collections. The policy was last updated in 2026.

Acceptable Behavior Policy

Sturgis Library’s Acceptable Behavior Policy lists the rules for proper behavior in and around the Library so that patrons and visitors can have a positive experience.

Child Safety Policy

Sturgis Library’s Child Safety Policy explains the rules of the Library to parents and caregivers so that the Library can be a safe environment for all ages.

Additional Library policies:

Programming Policy
Meeting Room Use Guidelines and Policy
Exhibit and Display Guidelines and Policy
Display and posting of non-library materials [flyers, handouts, posters, etc.]
Computer Use Policy
Volunteer Policy

Frequently Asked Questions

Click here for a brochure with a floorplan: Floorplan Brochure

Please check our EVENTS calendar for specific days CLOSED. If you are traveling from a distance, please call in advance (508-362-6636) to assure that we will be open on the day(s) you are planning to visit. There are rare days when we must close on short notice due to weather or acts of the gods. Please check our facebook page for unanticipated closing announcements.

Our regular hours are:
Monday 10 am to 5 pm
Tuesday 10 am to 7 pm
Wednesday 10 am to 5pm
Thursday 10 am to 5 pm
Friday 10 am to 5 pm
Saturday 10 am to 4 pm
Closed Sundays & holidays

3090 Main Street (Route 6A) in Barnstable Village, MA 02630
From Route 6 (the Mid-Cape Highway): Take Exit 68 to Barnstable/Hyannis. At the end of the ramp go north on Rt. 132. In about 1/2 a mile it will dead-end into Route 6A. Turn right onto Route 6A. Sturgis Library is approximately 2.5 miles further east on the left side of Route 6A (3090 Main Street), just past Saint Mary’s Church.
Traveling west on Route 6A towards Barnstable, the Library is on the right side of Route 6A, about 1/8 of a mile past the Barnstable County Courthouse in the Village center.
Parking is available to the right or left as you come into the driveway. A larger lot is available behind the Library, at the end of the driveway. There is limited on-street parking on the north side of the street just west of the library. Overflow parking is also usually available at Saint Mary’s Church, just across the street.
Please enter and exit the parking lot with caution, as we are located on a blind curve.
Find us with Google Maps

Any adult may get a Sturgis Library card with ID indicating their address. Children must be 5 years of age to get a card, and all children under the age of 13 need the consent of a parent in order to borrow materials from Sturgis Library.

For more information on registering for a Sturgis Library CLAMS card, CLICK HERE.

Sturgis Library loans books, movies on DVD, audio books, music on CD, magazines, museum passes, traditional and wooden jigsaw puzzles, a telescope, rechargeable leaf blowers, mobile hot spots, and other items. We also loan downloadable e-books and audiobooks.

Most books, music, audiobooks, and magazines circulate for 2 weeks, and most movies circulate for 1 week — some series circulate for 2. Items renews automatically up to three times as long as no one is waiting for them. There are some exceptions to these rules.

Yes. There are two drop boxes to the left of the main entrance of the Library — one for books and one for nonprint materials. There is also a bin in front of the drop boxes for oversized items that won’t fit in the return slots. You may return materials checked out of any CLAMS library to any CLAMS library, with the exception of certain oversized or fragile items, and items ordered through the Virtual Catalog.

Most items automatically renew up to three times, as long as no one has them on reserve. Sturgis Library no longer charges overdue fines.

Most items automatically renew up to three times, as long as no one has them on reserve. You can check an item’s due date in your account in CLAMS, or contact us at 508-362-6636 if you have any questions.

You will need to pay to replace the damaged or lost item. Contact the Library at 508-362-6636 and the staff will help you determine the best way to do this. Please do not purchase a replacement copy of the book. We require payment for the item rather than a replacement copy.

Yes. Search the catalog at https://barnstable-sturgis.clamsnet.org/. You can also download the CLAMS app from the App Store by searching CLAMS Library Network.

You can see a list of CLAMS libraries here: https://info.clamsnet.org/libraries

Yes. You can do this yourself through the CLAMS catalog or CLAMS App by locating the item and clicking the “request” or “place hold” button on the search screen. You will need to have your library barcode and PIN number handy to do this.

You can also ask the staff to place requests for you — ask at the desk or give us a call at 508-362-6636.

We have public workstations (connected to a printer) and 1 laptop for use in the Hooper Room for historical research (connected to a printer). If you need to print anything, printouts are 20 cents each.

Yes. There is wireless internet access throughout the library, which even extends to the seating area outside of the library for surfing the web outdoors. No special login code is necessary to access our wireless connection.

Yes. The Library’s fax number is 508-362-5467. To send a fax, there is a charge of $1.00 per page. We do not FAX internationally, only within the U.S. To receive a fax, it is 20 cents per page.

Yes, we have a public copy machine that makes both color and black and white copies . Black and white copies are 20 cents a page, and color copies are 50 cents each.

Yes, we are happy to deliver books and other library materials to you. Please contact Circulation staff at 508-362-6636 to discuss home delivery.

Contact our Reference and Adult Services Librarian at 508-362-6636 for research assistance, or email them at [email protected].

While we can’t do your entire family tree, we’re happy to help you get started or identify resources. Contact our Reference and Adult Services Librarian at 508-362-6636 or email them at [email protected].

Yes. Visit our meeting room page for more information.

The second floor of the Library is quieter than the main area, and researchers who need quiet space may choose to work there. Other areas of the library are quiet at times, but we are a busy, lively library, and silence is not guaranteed. We do not have special space for tutoring purposes at this time.

We are not using regular volunteers at this time, but we do appreciate having volunteers assist with special projects, including filling the 3 Little Free Libraries, helping with mailings, and assisting at events. To inquire about volunteering, contact Library Director Lucy Loomis at 508-362-6636 or [email protected].

Check out our programs and events calendar.

Read back issues of our newsletters and join our mailing list HERE.

Yes. We accept donations of gently used books and puzzles. The Library sometimes adds donated materials to our collections, though most materials go to our Book and Gift shop, where they are sold to raise funds for the library’s operating expenses.

We don’t provide appraisal services, but you can get information on the value of your used and rare books through the following sources:
Online Resources — See what comparable titles are selling for:
http://www.abebooks.com
http://www.bookfinder.com
http://www.alibris.com
http://www.amazon.com
http://www.ebay.com

Booksellers & Apprasiers — Get a professional appraisal of your book’s value:
Isaiah Thomas Books and Prints, Cotuit 508-428-2752
Parnassus Books, Yarmouthport 508-362-6420
Titcomb’s Book Shop, East Sandwich 508-888-2331
Brattle Book Shop, Boston 617-542-0210

We accept donations of family papers and photographs if they are connected to a Cape Cod family. Please contact Library Director Lucy Loomis at 508-362-6636 or email her at [email protected]

Long Range Plan of Service 2027-2032

Collection Development Policy

Acceptable Behavior Policy

Child Safety Policy

Additional Library policies:

Frequently Asked Questions

Visit Sturgis Library

Sturgis Library

Hours

Support Us

Sign up for Updates