64 E Broadway, Derry NH | 03038 | (603) 432-6140 | Hours

Free or discounted admission to many local museums.  Click here to learn more.

Join a group or find a good book.

Research databases available to all cardholders - have your card number and PIN ready! 

In partnership with the NH Law Library, Derry Public Library offers access to both physical and digital resources for legal research.

Learn more about the book groups and clubs that meet at the library.

The generous donations given to the library.

About our Board of Trustees

 

History and Mission

Mission

The Derry Public Library serves the community's evolving informational and cultural needs, and supports residents' efforts to connect, explore, and grow

Approved by the Derry Public Library Board of Trustees, June 2020

The History of the Derry Public Library

The Derry Public Library opened on August 10, 1905 when Honorable R. W. Pillsbury donated $1000 to the town. The town appropriated an additional $500 to furnish rooms in the Adams Memorial Building to start a library. Reverend W. E. Gaskin was appointed the first librarian.

In 1926 Henry F. MacGregor’s will instructed his widow to purchase land and build a new library. The library was constructed on the site of the former Boyd home and formally dedicated on January 14, 1927. A stained glass window depicting the MacGregor coat of arms was installed in the rear wall of the new building as a memorial to Henry.

In 1977, the Board of Library Trustees obtained a federal grant of $25,000 to finish the basement of the library for a children’s room. As the population of Derry grew, so did the need for expanding the library.

In 1989, Paul Collette, Derry’s first mayor, became the driving force behind getting the appropriate funds for the 15,000 square foot library expansion. The new Derry Public Library opened March 8, 1990 with a total area of 22,771 square feet. Since then the library’s collection has nearly tripled.

Take a tour of our library throughout the years via the pdf attachment below. For more library pictures and a collection of historic Derry postcards, visit DPL's Internet Archive page.