Pauline Haass Public Library
🏢 Bridges Library System · Sussex, Wisconsin
Pauline Haass Public Library
Named for Pauline Haass — a Lisbon schoolteacher who left her entire estate to found a community library — this Waukesha County gem is open seven days a week and lends everything from eBooks to board games and Wi-Fi hotspots.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9:30 AM – 8:00 PM |
| Tuesday | 9:30 AM – 8:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 9:30 AM – 8:00 PM |
| Thursday | 9:30 AM – 8:00 PM |
| Friday | 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Saturday | 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM |
| Sunday | 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: N64W23820 Main St., Sussex, WI 53089
Phone: (262) 246-5180
Website: phplonline.org
Plus Code: 86MH4QMH+GP (Sussex, 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 Pauline Haass Public Library
Pauline Haass was a former schoolteacher and farmer in the Town of Lisbon who recognized her community's lack of library access. Upon her death she left her entire estate to the Town of Lisbon with instructions to establish and maintain a library. The Town of Lisbon partnered with the Village of Sussex to create a larger facility, and the Sussex library opened in February 1980 in the former Orchard Elementary School building, with Phyllis Smith serving as librarian. The library now operates as the joint Pauline Haass Public Library, a member of the Bridges Library System — a 24-library consortium serving Waukesha and Jefferson counties formed in 1981 (known as the Waukesha County Federated Library System until Jefferson County joined in 2016). A Friends of the Library organization and Library Foundation actively support the library's collections and programming.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Open seven days a week, including Sunday afternoons 1–4 PM
- Library of Things: board games, yard games & Wi-Fi hotspots to borrow
- Named for Pauline Haass, whose bequest created the library in 1980
- Bridges Library System — shared catalog with 23 other Waukesha & Jefferson County libraries
- Udemy online professional development courses free with your card
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Explore digital resources and online learning free with your Pauline Haass library card:
📚 Services
- Free library cards for Sussex & Lisbon residents (Bridges System)
- Library of Things (board games, yard games, Wi-Fi hotspots)
- Public computers & Wi-Fi
- Home delivery for qualifying patrons
- Meeting room reservations
- Research databases (genealogy, health, business)
- Interlibrary loan
- Reading challenges via Beanstack
🎸 Programs
- Kids' programs & reading challenges
- Teen programs & reading initiatives
- Adult book clubs & speaker events
- Reading challenge via Beanstack (all ages)
- 2026–2028 community strategic programming initiatives
📍 Nearby Libraries in Waukesha County
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Pauline Haass and why is the library named for her?
Pauline Haass was a former schoolteacher and farmer who lived in the Town of Lisbon, Wisconsin. Recognizing that her community had no public library — only a bookmobile — she left her entire estate to the Town of Lisbon specifically to establish and maintain a library. Her bequest made the joint Sussex-Lisbon public library possible, and the library was named in her honor.
Is the library open on Sundays?
Yes — Pauline Haass Public Library is open Sundays from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Monday through Thursday hours are 9:30 AM to 8:00 PM; Friday 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM; and Saturday 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM.
What unusual items can I borrow from the Library of Things?
The Library of Things collection includes board games, yard games, and Wi-Fi hotspots — all available to cardholders the same way you'd check out a book. Check the catalog or ask staff for the current inventory.
Can I use my card at other Bridges Library System libraries?
Yes. Your Pauline Haass card works at all 24 member libraries of the Bridges Library System across Waukesha and Jefferson counties. You can borrow from any location, request items from the shared catalog, and return materials to any member library.
📜 This library has genealogy & local-history resources. See how library family-history research works and find other libraries with genealogy collections genealogy libraries 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.
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