Public library systems in Colorado
The 101 profiled public library systems in Colorado served 5.6 million residents in FY 2024 and logged 3.81 visits and 6.58 physical checkouts per resident, which ranks 10th and 6th among the 50 states and DC. Operating spending came to $84.28 per resident (2nd nationally). Local government supplied 90% of operating revenue, against 85% for all profiled systems nationwide, and the state government 0%.
The largest system is Denver Public Library, serving 715,636 residents; 13 systems serve 100,000 or more. At the end of the year, 87% of the state's profiled systems charged no overdue fines on print items. The most common legal form is the library district (54 systems).
Visits per resident, system by system
Each dot is one Colorado system, grouped by the size of the population it serves; darker dots have their own profile page. The gold tick marks the national median for that size class.
The 20 largest systems
| System | City | Residents | Visits per resident | Checkouts per resident | Spending per resident |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Public Library | Denver | 715,636 | 3.57 | 5.86 | $127.68 |
| Pikes Peak Library District | Colorado Springs | 678,684 | 2.81 | 5.34 | $48.53 |
| Jefferson County Public Library | Lakewood | 576,381 | 3.39 | 11.22 | $77.67 |
| Rangeview Library District | Thornton | 406,718 | 1.84 | 1.59 | $51.73 |
| Aurora Public Library | Aurora | 394,380 | 1.42 | 1.89 | $17.68 |
| Douglas County Libraries | Castle Rock | 383,911 | 3.65 | 9.77 | $87.76 |
| High Plains Library District | Greeley | 315,735 | 4.23 | 5.40 | $92.01 |
| Arapahoe Library District | Englewood | 277,382 | 5.02 | 9.28 | $155.44 |
| Poudre River Public Library District | Fort Collins | 211,387 | 3.57 | 9.43 | $62.08 |
| Pueblo City-County Library District | Pueblo | 169,427 | 3.62 | 5.04 | $78.38 |
| Mesa County Public Library District | Grand Junction | 159,637 | 4.51 | 6.03 | $50.93 |
| Boulder Public Library District | Boulder | 133,697 | 4.68 | 7.70 | $212.57 |
| Westminster Public Library | Westminster | 115,739 | 3.30 | 3.06 | $44.75 |
| Longmont Public Library | Longmont | 98,285 | 3.46 | 7.43 | $46.54 |
| Loveland Public Library | Loveland | 79,607 | 3.68 | 8.57 | $51.32 |
| Broomfield/Eisenhower Public Library | Broomfield | 76,853 | 2.98 | 7.42 | $39.87 |
| Garfield County Public Library District | Rifle | 62,722 | 6.70 | 6.00 | $163.18 |
| Security Public Library | Security | 61,858 | 1.52 | 2.76 | $26.06 |
| Durango Public Library | Durango | 56,453 | 5.10 | 4.61 | $53.66 |
| Eagle Valley Library District | Eagle | 45,194 | 5.91 | 5.29 | $118.48 |
Highest rates among systems serving 5,000 or more
Of the state's profiled systems, 62 serve at least 5,000 residents.
Visits per resident
- San Miguel Library District # 1 (Telluride) · 28.53
- Ignacio Community Library District · 19.59
- Southern Chaffee County Regional Lib Dist/Salida · 12.74
- Pitkin County Library · 12.28
- Pine River Public Library District/Bayfield · 10.98
Checkouts per resident
- San Miguel Library District # 1 (Telluride) · 15.84
- Louisville Public Library · 14.71
- Southern Chaffee County Regional Lib Dist/Salida · 13.46
- East Morgan County Library District/Brush · 11.36
- Jefferson County Public Library · 11.22
Spending per resident
- San Miguel Library District # 1 (Telluride) · $528.49
- Pitkin County Library · $366.53
- East Morgan County Library District/Brush · $228.83
- Estes Valley Public Library District · $224.72
- Boulder Public Library District · $212.57
Revenue mix
Combined operating revenue of $643 million across the 101 systems that reported every revenue source.
- Local government
- State
- Federal
- Other