Kennett Library
The town library on East State Street, in its big new building. Story times, meeting rooms, and stacks to get lost in.
Field notes: Seven reasons Monday night is better than you'd think
Run Kennett Library? This page is yours to claim : fix the hours, swap the photo, and set the record straight.
Coming up here
Imagination Library Children's Book Club and Storytime
Stories plus a book club for the smallest readers, Friday mornings in the children's area. Half an hour, free, and it lands right before the farmers market sets up across town.
Maker Skills Series: Learn to Solder
Saturday morning soldering basics in the community makerspace: iron, flux, and a small board to take home. Free, registration required, and no prior experience assumed.
Kennett Library Staff Storytime
Library staff read to small children Tuesday mornings in the children's area. Free, no registration, and it runs about half an hour.
Track and Build Hot Wheels
Kids build track in the children's area and race Hot Wheels down it. Tuesday evenings through September, free, and loud in the best way.
Preschool Craft Time
Mr. John runs a half hour of crafts with all supplies provided, in the children's makerspace. Free, registration required, and there is a repeat session at six for working parents.
A Staged Reading of Ethan's People, a Play by Richard L. Gaw
A staged reading of a new play by Chester County writer Richard L. Gaw, in the library auditorium. Seven in the evening, free, actors on book.
Sunshine Yoga Storytime
Stories mixed with easy yoga poses for preschoolers in the children's area. Free, ten in the morning, and the wiggling is the point.
Patent Models: Five New Stories of American Invention, Gallery Opening
Opening night for a Hagley Museum show of American patent models, the physical prototypes inventors once had to file with their applications. Gallery, five in the evening, free.
Piano Group
An informal piano group in the auditorium where people take turns at the instrument. Free, Thursday evening, and listeners are as welcome as players.
Imagination Library Children's Book Club and Storytime
Stories plus a book club for the smallest readers, Friday mornings in the children's area. Half an hour, free, and it lands right before the farmers market sets up across town.
Toddler Music
Half an hour of singing, shakers, and moving around for kids two to six, in the children's area. Free, and the room clears out by eleven.
Friends Four O'clock Feature: The Princess Bride
The Friends of the Library screen The Princess Bride in the auditorium at four. Free, and an easy after-school landing spot for anyone who has somehow never seen it.
They/Them Mayhem: Queer Crafting Group
A queer crafting group that meets Monday evening in the Spruce Room. Bring whatever you are working on, free, and there is no skill floor.
Astronomy from the Melton Terrace: After Hours
Telescopes go up on the library terrace after closing, weather permitting. Free, no registration, and one of the few things running late on a Monday night in town.
Kennett Library Staff Storytime
Library staff read to small children Tuesday mornings in the children's area. Free, no registration, and it runs about half an hour.
Local Author Talk: Jeff Ziegler, Eight Suitcases and a Dog
Jeff Ziegler talks about Eight Suitcases and a Dog in the Bayard Taylor Reading Room. Eleven in the morning, free, and he stays for questions.
Medicare 101 presented by Chester County PA MEDI
Chester County PA MEDI runs the plain-English version of Medicare enrollment in the Dogwood Room. Six in the evening, free, and nobody in the room is selling a plan.
Track and Build Hot Wheels
Kids build track in the children's area and race Hot Wheels down it. Tuesday evenings through September, free, and loud in the best way.
Preschool Craft Time
Mr. John runs a half hour of crafts with all supplies provided, in the children's makerspace. Free, registration required, and there is a repeat session at six for working parents.
Workshop Wednesdays in the Children's Makerspace: Inventor Central
Kids learn about Skee Ball and the ChompSaw, both local inventions, then use the ChompSaw to build their own Skee Ball game. Ninety minutes, registration required.
Stroud Center Movie Night
Short films on the removal of four Klamath River dams and the Indigenous tribes who pushed for it, screened with Stroud Water Research Center. Auditorium, six in the evening, free.
Philadelphia Fringe, Kennett Square
The New Play Theatrical Club stages original short plays by local writers as part of the Philadelphia Fringe, the first time Kennett has been on that map. Free, registration required.
Philadelphia Fringe: New Play Theatrical Club
The New Play Theatrical Club reads and works up original one-acts headed for the Fringe. Writers, actors, directors and anyone who likes theatre can sit in. Ten seats, registration required.
Toddler Music
Half an hour of singing, shakers, and moving around for kids two to six, in the children's area. Free, and the room clears out by eleven.
Story Hour for Grown Ups
Short story discussion for adults, third Thursday of the month in the Bayard Taylor Reading Room. Stories are handed out ahead of time, free, registration required.
Kids Movie Night
A movie for kids in the library auditorium at quarter past five. Free, and early enough that bedtime survives it.
Friends of the Library Book Sale
Three days of donated books sold by the Friends of the Library, with the money going back into library programming. Donations were collected all summer, so the tables run deep.
Imagination Library Children's Book Club and Storytime
Stories plus a book club for the smallest readers, Friday mornings in the children's area. Half an hour, free, and it lands right before the farmers market sets up across town.
Friends of the Library Book Sale
Day two of the Friends book sale. Money from the tables goes back into library programming, and Saturday is the day the good stuff is still there.
The American Revolution and the Fate of the World
A Saturday afternoon talk on the Revolution's global consequences in the library auditorium, part of the America 250 programming. Two o'clock, free.
Friends of the Library Book Sale
Last day of the Friends book sale. Money from the tables goes back into library programming, and closing day is when the prices drop.
All Things STEAM for Preschoolers
Science, art, and building for the under-five crowd in the children's makerspace. Ten in the morning, free, and messy by design.
First-Time Homebuyer Workshop
The mortgage, inspection, and closing sequence explained by people who are not selling you a house. Spruce Room, six thirty, free, and useful in a market this tight.
Astronomy from the Melton Terrace: After Hours
Telescopes go up on the library terrace after closing, weather permitting. Free, no registration, and one of the few things running late on a Monday night in town.
Abre Tu Negocio en Kennett Square y Chester County
The Spanish-language version of the library's start-a-business session, covering permits, licensing, and where local funding actually comes from. Chestnut Classroom, nine in the morning, free.
Kennett Library Staff Storytime
Library staff read to small children Tuesday mornings in the children's area. Free, no registration, and it runs about half an hour.
Start Your Business in Kennett Square and Chester County
A morning session on permits, licenses, and where to actually get money to open something in the borough. Chestnut Classroom, eleven o'clock, free.
Track and Build Hot Wheels
Kids build track in the children's area and race Hot Wheels down it. Tuesday evenings through September, free, and loud in the best way.
Preschool Craft Time
Mr. John runs a half hour of crafts with all supplies provided, in the children's makerspace. Free, registration required, and there is a repeat session at six for working parents.
Migraine Moms Master Class
An evening session in the Spruce Room for parents managing chronic migraine. Seven o'clock, free, and open to anyone who wants to sit in.
Sunshine Yoga Storytime
Stories mixed with easy yoga poses for preschoolers in the children's area. Free, ten in the morning, and the wiggling is the point.
Friends of Kennett Library Book Group
The Friends group's own book club, Thursday evening in the Spruce Room. Free, monthly, and the Friends are the same crew running the September book sale.
Philadelphia Fringe
Original short plays by local writers in the library auditorium, Kennett's slot in the Philadelphia Fringe. Seven in the evening, free, registration required.
Kennett Library Video Game Club, After Hours
The fall session picks up where summer left off: the children's area stays open past closing for two hours of games on a Friday night. Free.
Maker Skills Series: Intro to Photogrammetry
Turn a pile of phone photos into a 3D model, Saturday morning in the community makerspace. Free, registration required, and bring a camera if you have one.
Kennett Area Civil War and History Club: The Lewis and Clark Expedition
The history club takes on the Lewis and Clark expedition, Saturday morning in the Oak Classroom upstairs. Free, and visitors do not have to be members.
Philadelphia Fringe
The matinee of Kennett's Philadelphia Fringe run, original short plays by local writers in the library auditorium. Two in the afternoon, free, registration required.
Toddler Music
Half an hour of singing, shakers, and moving around for kids two to six, in the children's area. Free, and the room clears out by eleven.
Graphic Novel Book Group
Comics and graphic novels for grown readers, Monday evening in the Spruce Room. Free, monthly, and no one minds if you are still halfway through the pick.
Astronomy from the Melton Terrace: After Hours
Telescopes go up on the library terrace after closing, weather permitting. Free, no registration, and one of the few things running late on a Monday night in town.
Kennett Library Staff Storytime
Library staff read to small children Tuesday mornings in the children's area. Free, no registration, and it runs about half an hour.
Track and Build Hot Wheels
Kids build track in the children's area and race Hot Wheels down it. Tuesday evenings through September, free, and loud in the best way.
Preschool Craft Time
Mr. John runs a half hour of crafts with all supplies provided, in the children's makerspace. Free, registration required, and there is a repeat session at six for working parents.
Where Do Old Books Go?
A talk on what happens to books after the library is finished with them: sales, recycling, and the ones nobody wants. Spruce Room, six thirty, free.
International Book Group
A book group working through fiction in translation and writing from outside the States, in the Bayard Taylor Reading Room. Seven in the evening, free, monthly.
Kennett Maker Studio: Kinusaiga, Painting with Fabric
A Japanese technique where fabric scraps get tucked into carved grooves to build a picture, no needle involved. Adults and teens, in the community makerspace, and registration fills up.
Puzzle Night and Exchange
Bring a finished jigsaw, swap it for one you have not done, or just take one home. No trade required, and the library keeps the table stocked in the lobby by the gallery.
Goodnight Ladies: The Life of Nancy Hannum, A Film and Conversation
A short documentary about Nancy Hannum, the woman who ran Chester County's foxhunting world for decades, screened with director Christy Hannum on hand for the conversation after.
Practical Sewing and Repurposing for Beginners
Four Saturday afternoons turning a men's dress shirt into three or four usable things, learning the machine, measuring and finishing along the way. Two hours a session in the Oak Classroom.
Lunchtime Screenings: The Librarians, Banned Books Week
Bring lunch and watch the documentary about librarians fighting book bans, screened at noon every day of Banned Books Week. Ninety minutes, free, and no ticket needed.
Storytime with Kenny the Mushroom
A mushroom in a hat reads to small children in the library's children's area. Very Kennett Square, and it lands on the first Wednesday of the month.
Evening Screening: The Librarians, Banned Books Week
The same Banned Books Week documentary about librarians who refused to pull titles, this time at seven for anyone who cannot get away at lunch. Free and open to all.
Kennett Area Civil War and History Club: Edison, Ford and Firestone, Fathers of the Great American Road Trip
The history club meets on select Saturday mornings at the library. This one covers the camping trips Edison, Ford and Firestone took together and how they invented the American road trip.
Practical Sewing and Repurposing for Beginners
Four Saturday afternoons turning a men's dress shirt into three or four usable things, learning the machine, measuring and finishing along the way. Two hours a session in the Oak Classroom.
Speaking of History: How Native Americans Shaped Our Democracy
Historian James McKinley asks whether the Haudenosaunee Great Law of Peace shaped the US Constitution, and how those ideas reached Jefferson and Franklin. Free afternoon lecture, seat reservations through the Heritage Center.
Friends Four O'clock Feature: Stand By Me
The Friends of the Library run a four o'clock movie in the auditorium, and October's is the Rob Reiner coming-of-age classic. Register and you get a cannoli coupon for La Verona that night.
They/Them Mayhem: Queer Crafting Group
A monthly crafting night for the queer community and friends, in the library's Spruce Room. Bring whatever you are working on, or use what is on the table.
Medicare Tune Up
A plain-language session on Medicare choices, timed for the autumn enrollment window. Tuesday evening in the Dogwood Room at the library.
WHYY Bridging Blocks: Preserving History in Kennett Square and Chester County
WHYY brings its Bridging Blocks series to the library for an evening on who keeps Kennett Square and Chester County history, and how. Free, upstairs, and registration is expected.
Halloween Costume Handoff
Take home a free Halloween costume from what the community has donated. One per kid, no drop-off required, first come first served, in the gallery during Third Thursday.
Create Your Own Halloween Luminary
Kids build glowing paper-circuit luminaries in the makerspace, a mix of craft and simple electronics. Stop in before heading out to the Third Thursday street closing.
Practical Sewing and Repurposing for Beginners
Four Saturday afternoons turning a men's dress shirt into three or four usable things, learning the machine, measuring and finishing along the way. Two hours a session in the Oak Classroom.
Your Business Your Future in Chester County
A county session on starting and growing a small business here, covering permits, planning and where the local help lives. Free, upstairs at the library.
Tu Negocio, Tu Futuro en Chester County
The same small business session run in Spanish, starting at seven the same evening in the Oak Classroom upstairs at the library.
Create with Nature
A Saturday afternoon craft session built around natural materials, held in the library's Spruce Room. It starts at one and is free to join.
Practical Sewing and Repurposing for Beginners
Four Saturday afternoons turning a men's dress shirt into three or four usable things, learning the machine, measuring and finishing along the way. Two hours a session in the Oak Classroom.
Spooky Halloween Craft Day
A morning of Halloween crafts sized for toddlers, costumes encouraged. Registration is required and opens in early October, and it runs one hour in the Spruce Room.
Maker Skills Series: Intro to Photogrammetry
Learn to turn a stack of ordinary photographs into a 3D model. Saturday morning in the community makerspace, aimed at adults and teens, with registration through the library.
Storytime with Kenny the Mushroom
The November visit from the library's mushroom mascot, who reads to small children in the children's area on the first Wednesday of the month.
Art Reception: Small Works
Invited artists hang pieces no bigger than sixteen inches and priced under three hundred dollars, aimed straight at holiday shopping. The reception runs two hours in the library gallery.
Puzzle Night and Exchange
The November round of the jigsaw swap. Drop off a finished puzzle and pick up one you have not done, or just take one home. No trade required, in the lobby by the gallery.
Maker Skills Series: Learn to Solder
Solder components onto a real circuit board and walk out with something that works. Saturday morning in the community makerspace, for adults and teens, registration required.
Speaking of History: Ongoing Revolutionary Lives
Ellen Endslow of the Chester County History Center traces how national turning points, from the Declaration through voting rights law, landed in this county and on ordinary people here. Free lecture.
Friends Four O'clock Feature: A Few Good Men
November's four o'clock feature continues the Rob Reiner run with the courtroom drama. Free in the library auditorium, registration required, and the La Verona dinner coupon comes with it.
They/Them Mayhem: Queer Crafting Group
November's queer crafting night at the library, in the Spruce Room. Bring a project or work with what is out on the table.
Medicare 102 presented by Chester County PA MEDI
The follow-on Medicare session from the county's PA MEDI counsellors, during open enrollment. Tuesday evening in the Dogwood Room at the library.
Kennett Area Civil War and History Club: Portrayal of John Nicolay
A first-person portrayal of John Nicolay, Lincoln's private secretary, for the club's November Saturday morning session. Two hours upstairs in the Oak Classroom, open to anyone who wanders in.
Meet the Funders: Unlock Grants and Financing Opportunities for Your Business
Lenders and grant-makers sit down with small business owners to explain what money is available and what they look for in an application. An hour, upstairs, free.
Conozca a los Prestamistas
The Spanish-language version of the library's funders night, with lenders and grant programs explained for small business owners. Seven o'clock in the Oak Classroom, right after the English session.
Maker Skills Series: Intro to Photogrammetry
The November run of the photogrammetry workshop, building 3D models out of photographs. Saturday morning in the community makerspace, adults and teens, registration through the library.
More like this
Chester County Library
The county's central library branch off Exton Square Parkway. Shelves to browse and a full events calendar most weeks.
Coatesville Area Public Library
The Coatesville Area Public Library sits on Lincoln Highway with books, kids' story times, and public computers. It's the room in town you don't have to buy anything to sit in.
Ardmore Library
The Lower Merion Library System branch on Ardmore Ave, a block from the community center. One card works across the whole system, and there is a quiet room here when you need one.
