Westminster Branch
50 East Main Street
Westminster, MD 21157
Christina Ogle, Branch Manager
Branch Hours
Monday - Thursday: 9 AM - 8 PM
Friday - Saturday: 9 AM - 5 PM
Directions
Programs and Events
Check Currents or the Calendar of Events site for more events.
Saturday, February 22, 2025 - 10:00am - 11:00am
Ages: 16 - Adults, Adults
Registration and more information
Come on out to make your own wreath. All supplies will be provided.
Monday, February 24, 2025 - 10:00am - 11:00am
Ages: Birth - 8
More information
We’ll share books, stories, rhymes, music, and movement. Come talk, sing, read, write, and play together in a format appropriate for young children.
Monday, February 24, 2025 - 3:30pm - 4:30pm
Ages: 12 - 17
Registration and more information
Calling all teens looking for leadership roles in planning library programs. We want you for our Teen Advisory Board! Need service hours? We've got those too! Participants can join us in person or log in virtually through Zoom by registering.
Tuesday, February 25, 2025 - 10:00am - 11:00am
Ages: Birth - 24 Months
More information
Join your little one at a storytime featuring interactive books, rhymes, music, and movement, followed by playgroup activities that allow children to practice skills and socialize.
Tuesday, February 25, 2025 - 11:00am - 12:00pm
Ages: 2 - 3
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This lively, fast-paced storytime for young children includes books, songs, fingerplays, and movement.
Tuesday, February 25, 2025 - 5:00pm - 6:30pm
Ages: 16 - Adults, Adults
Registration and more information
Join us for a monthly book discussion focusing on a diverse author's work. Each month, we will select a young adult or adult title written by an author from a diverse background so we can learn from others' perspectives. Our February selection is The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride. Attendees are welcome to attend in person at CCPL's Westminster Branch or virtually through Zoom.
Tuesday, February 25, 2025 - 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Ages: Birth - 8
More information
Wear your pajamas, bring your favorite stuffed animal, and listen to stories before bed. This storytime introduces stories through books, songs, and activities appropriate for young children.
Wednesday, February 26, 2025 - 10:00am - 11:00am
Ages: Birth - 24 Months
More information
Join your little one at a storytime featuring interactive books, rhymes, music, and movement, followed by playgroup activities that allow children to practice skills and socialize.
Wednesday, February 26, 2025 - 11:00am - 12:00pm
Ages: 2 - 3
More information
This lively, fast-paced storytime for young children includes books, songs, fingerplays, and movement.
Wednesday, February 26, 2025 - 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Ages: Adults
More information
This month's selection is A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult. Books will be available for pickup at CCPL's Westminster Branch.
Thursday, February 27, 2025 - 10:00am - 11:00am
Ages: 2 - 3
More information
This lively, fast-paced storytime for young children includes books, songs, fingerplays, and movement.
Thursday, February 27, 2025 - 11:00am - 12:00pm
Ages: Birth - 8
More information
We’ll share books, stories, rhymes, music, and movement. Come talk, sing, read, write, and play together in a format appropriate for young children.
Thursday, February 27, 2025 - 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Ages: 11 - Adults, Adults
Registration and more information
Whether you are a chess newbie or an expert, you will find a community here in Westminster Branch's Chess Club and walk away having learned something new from our personal instructor. All pawns, bishops, knights, rooks, queens, and kings are welcome! Our club sessions consist of 30 minutes of instruction and one hour of open play. Boards and pieces will be provided, but you are welcome to bring your own set(s) from home.
Friday, February 28, 2025 - 10:00am - 11:00am
Ages: Birth - 3
More information
You're invited to a morning playgroup just for little ones! Enjoy a warm and inviting space where you and your child can play with our toys, practice gross motor skills on our baby obstacle course, enjoy music, and socialize with others.
Friday, February 28, 2025 - 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Ages: 11 - 17
More information
Join us in our Young Adult Area for gaming on our Nintendo Switch. Bring your friends and take turns playing Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros., and more. Games will be provided.
Saturday, March 1, 2025 - 11:00am - 12:00pm
Ages: 4 - Adults, Adults
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Every dog enjoys a good story! Trained "reading dogs" provide a relaxed, informal atmosphere for kids to practice reading. Research shows that reading to animals can boost reading skills in children and help with emotional and social skills.
Tuesday, March 4, 2025 - 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Ages: 16 - Adults, Adults
More information
Klatch (noun): a gathering usually characterized by informal conversation.
Join us for a casual, bi-weekly stitching club. All needle-crafters are welcome!
Tuesday, March 4, 2025 - 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Ages: 3 - 12
More information
Jack, a poor country boy, traded the family cow for a handful of magic beans, much to his mom's dismay. He wanted to prove they were magic, so he planted a bean outside. That very night, the bean grew into a massive, towering beanstalk reaching up into the clouds. Jack is very excited about the beanstalk, but what should he do? Should he wait and see if it grows beans, or should he climb it and find out what's up in the clouds? Join us for the puppet show and help Jack decide what to do!
Meeting Rooms
Meeting rooms are available for public use Monday through Saturday, excluding library-observed holidays.
We have 1 meeting rooms available for public use:
Small Meeting Room - Capacity: 10
Services
- 24/7 book drop access
- Children's learning games
- Copy machine
- Free Wi-Fi access
- Notary Services
- Pay County tax bills
- Play and Learn Centers
- Print from anywhere (Global Print)
- Public fax
- Public Internet computers
- Scan documents to email
- Wireless printing
Branch History
Library service in Carroll County began in 1863, when the Westminster Public Library was founded by Reverend J. A. Monroe and Dr. Charles Billingslea. The library was supported by membership dues and fines, and was open to the public on Friday afternoons. Relocating over the years from the Odd Fellows Hall to the new Times Building and then to the second floor of the Wantz Building, Westminster Public Library was still a one-room library in the 1940s.
In 1949, Mr. and Mrs. Walter H. Davis announced that they would give a public library building to Westminster and provide an endowment for its support. At that time, the Westminster Public Library turned over its operation and assets to the Davis Library. The Davis Library, housed in a former Methodist church building, was formally dedicated as a library in May, 1951.
In 1958, after ten years of lobbying, a county-wide library system was established, with the Davis Library operating as the central branch. Carroll County's first modern library facility, the Westminster Branch, opened at 50 E. Main Street in March, 1980.
A major interior and exterior renovation to the building and park began in 2008. The interior renovation included a complete redesign of interior public space and features a train-themed children's area. Improvements to the Mary Lou Dewey Park in front of the branch included a redesigned entrance, new landscaping and walkways, and the Booth Memorial Stage, a performance platform for concerts and educational programming. Private funding made the addition of Wild Imaginings, a library-inspired sculpture by world-renown artist Bart Walter, possible.