Germantown Community Library
🏢 Monarch Library System · Germantown, Wisconsin
Germantown Community Library
Germantown Community Library opened in 1962 thanks to a $30,000 gift from Emma Duerrwaechter — Wisconsin's First Lady of Banking — and has grown from an 1,800-square-foot storefront into a modern 26,000-square-foot building on Mequon Road that serves 35,000 residents through the Monarch Library System.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–8pm |
| Thursday | 9am–8pm |
| Friday | 9am–5pm |
| Saturday | 9am–4pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: N112W16957 Mequon Rd., Germantown, WI 53022
Phone: (262) 253-7760
Website: germantownlibrarywi.org
Plus Code: 86MH6VCJ+34 (Germantown, WI)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Germantown Community Library
The Germantown Community Library traces its roots to 1962, when longtime resident and former bank president Emma Duerrwaechter donated $30,000 for the village's first library, built on Park Avenue near Fireman's Park. By 1982 a voter-approved 8,800-square-foot building on Mequon Road replaced it, and in 2002 the library moved into its current 26,000-square-foot home at N112W16957 Mequon Rd. In December 2015 the library joined 33 others in Washington, Dodge, Sheboygan, and Ozaukee counties to form the Monarch Library System, giving cardholders access to shared physical and digital collections across four counties. Today it circulates over 358,000 items a year and runs popular book groups, teen programming, and a home-delivery service for patrons who cannot visit in person.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Founded 1962 with a $30,000 gift from Emma Duerrwaechter, 'Wisconsin's First Lady of Banking'
- Current 26,000-square-foot building opened 2002 on Mequon Road with room for future expansion
- Part of the Monarch Library System — 30+ libraries sharing a catalog across four Wisconsin counties
- Home-delivery service for patrons who cannot visit the library in person
- Adult book groups for morning, evening, history, nonfiction, and mystery/thriller readers
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Germantown cardholders can borrow, stream, and research free through Wisconsin's statewide and Monarch resources:
📚 Services
- Borrowing from 30+ libraries through the shared Monarch catalog
- Home delivery for patrons unable to visit in person
- Public computers, printing & free Wi-Fi
- Room reservations for community meetings
- Interlibrary loan via WISCAT statewide catalog
- Reference and reader's advisory
🎸 Programs
- Multiple adult book groups — morning, evening, history, nonfiction, mystery/thriller
- Teen Advisory Board and youth programs
- Preschool and baby/toddler storytimes
- Community outreach and 'The Enchanted Library' outreach events
- Summer reading program
📍 Nearby Libraries in Washington & Waukesha Counties
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Germantown · Browse all Wisconsin libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How did the Germantown Community Library get started?
In 1962, longtime Germantown resident Emma Duerrwaechter — known as 'Wisconsin's First Lady of Banking' for leading her family's bank from 1923 to 1959 — surprised the community by donating $30,000 for a library building. The original 1,800-square-foot library on Park Avenue opened with about 2,000 items and 20 hours of service per week.
What is the Monarch Library System and how does it benefit my card?
The Monarch Library System is a consortium of 30+ public libraries across Washington, Dodge, Sheboygan, and Ozaukee counties that share a single catalog. Your Germantown card lets you borrow from any member library and access the shared digital collection — including Libby eBooks, audiobooks, and online databases — with one login.
Does the Germantown library offer home delivery?
Yes. The library provides a home-delivery service for patrons who are unable to visit in person due to mobility limitations or other circumstances. Contact the library at (262) 253-7760 or visit germantownlibrarywi.org to request the service.
What digital resources can I access for free with a Germantown library card?
With your card you can use Libby/OverDrive for eBooks and audiobooks, BadgerLink for Wisconsin-licensed magazines, newspapers, genealogical records and scholarly articles, Ancestry Library Edition for genealogy research, Transparent Language Online for 100+ language courses, and Universal Class for continuing-education courses — all free.
🖨 This library offers printing, copying & fax. See how library printing, copying, scanning and fax services work — costs and mobile printing — and find other libraries that offer them printing & fax by state.
✎ Notice something out of date? Suggest a correction and we’ll verify and update it.