Edwin A. Bemis Public Library
🏢 City of Littleton · Littleton, Colorado
Edwin A. Bemis Public Library
Born from a $200 railroad gift in 1892 and named for the editor who shaped Littleton's civic identity, the Edwin A. Bemis Public Library has anchored Arapahoe County's city center since 1965 — offering a Studio makerspace, DOJ-recognized immigration legal services, and access to over 4 million items through the Marmot consortium.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–8pm |
| Thursday | 9am–8pm |
| Friday | 9am–5pm |
| Saturday | 9am–5pm |
| Sunday | 1pm–5pm |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 6014 S. Datura Street, Littleton, CO 80120
Phone: (303) 795-3961
Website: library.littletonco.gov
Plus Code: 85FPJX5W+5F (Littleton, CO)
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👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Edwin A. Bemis Public Library
The Edwin A. Bemis Public Library has served Littleton since the city's earliest readers — its roots trace to 1892, when volunteer firefighters used a $200 railroad gift to seed Littleton's first book collection, which opened in a Main Street drugstore in 1897 before moving through a Carnegie building (1917, designed by Jules Jacques Benedict) to its current modernist home. The present building at 6014 S. Datura Street was dedicated in October 1965 and designed by renowned Denver modernist architect Eugene D. Sternberg; a $1.1 million expansion in 1982 grew capacity to more than 150,000 volumes. The library was named in honor of Edwin A. Bemis (1887–1978), publisher of the Littleton Independent, founder of the Littleton Historical Society, fire department chief, and one of the city's most devoted civic builders. Today Bemis is Littleton's sole public library, fine-free since April 2023, and a member of the Marmot Library Network since February 2019.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Named for Edwin A. Bemis (1887–1978), publisher of the Littleton Independent newspaper and founder of the Littleton Historical Society — Littleton's most decorated civic figure
- 1965 modernist building designed by architect Eugene D. Sternberg, expanded in 1982 to hold 150,000+ volumes; 154,179 volumes and 538,678 annual circulations today
- Fine-free since April 2023 — Littleton City Council voted unanimously to eliminate all overdue fines
- The Studio makerspace: Cricut Maker, 3D printers, sewing machines, and a digitization station for converting analog photos, slides, and records — reservable in 3-hour blocks
- Littleton Immigrant Resources Center (LIRC): DOJ-accredited immigration legal assistance, ESL classes, and citizenship education — a city-adopted program since 2009
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Littleton cardholders can borrow, stream, and research free through Colorado's shared digital collections:
📚 Services
- The Studio makerspace (Cricut, 3D printers, sewing machines, digitization station) — reservable in 3-hour blocks
- Littleton Immigrant Resources Center (LIRC): DOJ-accredited immigration legal assistance, ESL classes, citizenship preparation
- Home delivery service for patrons unable to visit in person
- Bookmobile bringing library services to Littleton neighborhoods
- Culture Passes for local attractions and Check Out Colorado State Parks pass program
- Book Club Kits for checkout
- Meeting rooms, conference rooms, and individual study rooms
- One-on-one technology appointments and technology classes
- Computers, Wi-Fi, printing, and copying
🎸 Programs
- Children: Books and Blankets storytime, 1000 Books Before Kindergarten early literacy program
- Children & Families: Story Walk at Gallup Gardens (outdoor reading trail)
- Youth: Summer Reading Program for children and teens
- Teens: Gaming events and topical discussions
- Adults: Book clubs and adult reading programs
- Arts: The Arts at Bemis Library — rotating programming and exhibitions
- LIRC: English as a Second Language (ESL) classes and writing workshops
📍 Nearby Libraries in the Denver South Metro
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Littleton · Browse all Colorado libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Edwin A. Bemis, and why is the library named after him?
Edwin A. Bemis (1887–1978) was the publisher and editor of the Littleton Independent newspaper, starting as an apprentice printer at age 11 in 1898. Beyond journalism, he served as Arapahoe County fire department chief, deputy sheriff, and town treasurer; organized the Arapahoe County Fair Association; founded the Littleton Historical Society (1956); and chaired Littleton's first Planning Commission. The library was named in his honor when it opened in October 1965 to recognize his lifelong dedication to the community.
What can I do in The Studio makerspace at Bemis?
The Studio is Bemis's free creative workspace for library cardholders, equipped with a Cricut Maker, 3D printers, sewing machines, and a digitization station for converting old photos, slides, and records to digital formats. Sessions are reservable in up to three-hour blocks via bemis.libcal.com. All users must be capable of operating equipment independently; some equipment has age restrictions.
Does Bemis Library serve residents outside Littleton city limits?
Bemis Public Library is a City of Littleton municipal library primarily serving Littleton's approximately 42,500 residents. However, anyone can obtain a library card. Since joining the Marmot Library Network in February 2019, a Bemis card also unlocks 274,000+ shared items from dozens of Colorado libraries and more than 30 million items through the statewide Prospector interlibrary loan system.
What immigration and language services does Bemis Library offer through LIRC?
The Littleton Immigrant Resources Center (LIRC) is an official division of Bemis Public Library recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice. It provides DOJ-accredited immigration legal consultations, representation before the Department of Homeland Security, English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, and citizenship naturalization support — all with bilingual (English/Spanish) staff. LIRC was formally adopted by the City of Littleton in 2009. Contact LIRC at (303) 795-3968, Mon–Fri 9am–5pm.
🎨 This library lends museum passes. See how library museum passes work and find other libraries that lend passes museum passes by state.
🧰 This library lends a “Library of Things.” See what you can borrow besides books and find other libraries with a Library of Things Library of Things by state.
🔨 This library has a makerspace / 3D printing. See how library makerspaces and 3D printing work and find other libraries with a makerspace makerspaces by state.
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