About

South Portland established its Department of Libraries in 1965, making us a relative youngster in terms of public libraries.  The Main Library building was opened to the public on December 10, 1966.  The Memorial Branch Library, on Wescott Road, followed eleven years later, in 1977. 

The Main Library has a book collection of approximately 83,267 volumes (and the Branch has about 18,525 volumes) on nearly every subject from adult novels to the Zip Code Directory.  

Besides books, both libraries offer a fine selection of periodicals for both pleasure and research, newspapers, an online magazine and journals database (Marvel), a growing collection of audio books, films and television series on DVD, and a large collection of music CDs.

Online access to the card catalog is available here as well as from home (Minerva). Requests for items can also be placed from home (Minerva). Public use computers are available for Internet access, as well as word processing.

Outreach:  The library also extends services to the homebound.  For those residents unable to come to the library, our Outreach Librarian will be happy to make home deliveries.

The Adult Area also offers reference services, interlibrary loans and a photocopier.  We also are home to the Kaler Collection, a repository of the writings of James Otis Kaler, the author many books for young people, published in the late 1800’s, and South Portland’s first Superintendent of Schools.

Our services are free to all South Portland residents ages 5 and up, including non-resident South Portland taxpayers, business owners, non-resident students attending South Portland schools, Southern Maine Community College students, and all military stationed in South Portland. Non-residents may obtain a card for a fee of $30.00 for the year.

Most items (books and audiobooks) circulate for three weeks; DVDs circulate for one week. Items can be renewed at check out, online (Renew Online), or over the phone if they are not on reserve.