The mission of the Hyannis Public Library is to:
  • be a place for the free expression of any idea.
  • protect and preserve spoken and printed word regardless of their medium
  • be a comprehensive source of knowledge regardless of the manner, method, or means by which it is conveyed.
  • preserve and perpetuate literacy
  • preserve and protect all forms of human expression and communication.
The Hyannis Public Library provides materials and services to help residents of the Town of Barnstable, village of Hyannis, and surrounding communities receive information for their personal, educational, and professional needs.
The Hyannis Public Library serves as a learning and educational resource for all area residents. Community members served in the Hyannis Library include the children, young adults, seniors, families, library users, library non-users, students, independent learners, ethnic groups, and the institutionalized and home-bound.
Library needs of the community addressed include recreational, leisure, informational, educational, and social.

Staff members work with the library's resources to provide:
  • access to information
  • meet user's needs
  • reach new users
  • make the public aware of library services and resources
  • provide interlibrary cooperation
  • preserve intellectual freedom
  • help individuals find answers to problems
Special emphasis is placed on supporting and meeting the:
  • general reference needs of Mid-Cape residents
  • reference needs of the business community
  • literacy goals of the community, especially with the English as a Second Language (ESL) community
  • research project requests of high school, community college, and continuing education students
  • unique needs of our community's special populations which include homeless singles, homeless families, the under-employed, the mentally ill, the developmentally delayed, the homebound or institutionalized
  • student needs of the elementary school student and the stimulation of young children's interest through reading and learning
  • entertainment and recreational use by the year-round and summer population of students, tourists, and second home owners.