Exploration Commons will be closed Tuesday, April 23, 2024 for a statewide training. We apologize for the inconvenience.
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.
Friday, April 19, 2024 - 10:00am - 11:00am
Ages: 2 - 5
More information
Play is a fantastic way for children to develop their critical thinking skills. Join us for an open playtime where children can be imaginative and creative while exploring blocks, puzzles, playdough, and more.
Saturday, April 20, 2024 - 1:00pm - 2:30pm
Ages: 13 - Adults, Adults
Registration and more information
Help us celebrate spring by joining us for a fun afternoon of painting!
The paint we use can stain clothing, so please wear old clothes to this event. Materials will be provided. No prior experience is necessary.
Monday, April 22, 2024 - 10:00am - 11:00am
Ages: Birth - 8
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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, April 22, 2024 - 3:30pm - 5:00pm
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, April 23, 2024 - 10:00am - 11:00am
Ages: Birth - 24 Months
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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, April 23, 2024 - 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, April 23, 2024 - 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Ages: Birth - 8
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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, April 24, 2024 - 10:00am - 11:00am
Ages: Birth - 24 Months
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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, April 24, 2024 - 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.
Thursday, April 25, 2024 - 10:00am - 11:00am
Ages: 2 - 3
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This lively, fast-paced storytime for young children includes books, songs, fingerplays, and movement.
Thursday, April 25, 2024 - 11:00am - 12:00pm
Ages: Birth - 8
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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, April 29, 2024 - 10:00am - 11:00am
Ages: Birth - 8
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We’ll share books, stories, rhymes, music, and movement. Come talk, sing, read, write, and play together in a format appropriate for young children.
Tuesday, April 30, 2024 - 10:00am - 11:00am
Ages: Birth - 24 Months
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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, April 30, 2024 - 11:00am - 12:00pm
Ages: 2 - 3
More information
This lively, fast-paced storytime for young children includes books, songs, fingerplays, and movement.
Tuesday, April 30, 2024 - 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 April selection is Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan. Attendees are welcome to attend in person at CCPL's Westminster Branch or virtually through Zoom.
Tuesday, April 30, 2024 - 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Ages: Birth - 8
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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, May 1, 2024 - 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, May 1, 2024 - 11:00am - 12:00pm
Ages: 2 - 3
More information
This lively, fast-paced storytime for young children includes books, songs, fingerplays, and movement.
Thursday, May 2, 2024 - 10:00am - 11:00am
Ages: 2 - 3
More information
This lively, fast-paced storytime for young children includes books, songs, fingerplays, and movement.
Thursday, May 2, 2024 - 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.
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.