Public library systems in Massachusetts
The 354 profiled public library systems in Massachusetts served 6.9 million residents in FY 2024 and logged 4.05 visits and 6.26 physical checkouts per resident, which ranks 6th and 8th among the 50 states and DC. Operating spending came to $60.82 per resident (14th nationally). Local government supplied 85% of operating revenue, against 85% for all profiled systems nationwide, and the state government 5%.
The largest system is Boston Public Library, serving 650,706 residents; 9 systems serve 100,000 or more. At the end of the year, 90% of the state's profiled systems charged no overdue fines on print items. The most common legal form is the municipal library (330 systems).
Visits per resident, system by system
Each dot is one Massachusetts 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Public Library | Boston | 650,706 | 2.10 | 3.45 | $88.00 |
| Worcester Public Library | Worcester | 205,319 | 2.15 | 3.15 | $38.77 |
| Springfield City Library | Springfield | 154,064 | 2.38 | 1.70 | $61.40 |
| Cambridge Public Library | Cambridge | 118,488 | 8.13 | 11.35 | $127.02 |
| Samuel S. Pollard Memorial Library | Lowell | 113,608 | 0.93 | 0.93 | $16.71 |
| Brockton Public Library | Brockton | 104,826 | 5.40 | 1.73 | $25.23 |
| Thomas Crane Public Library | Quincy | 101,727 | 3.81 | 6.10 | $53.81 |
| Lynn Public Library | Lynn | 100,891 | 1.22 | 0.64 | $14.74 |
| New Bedford Free Public Library | New Bedford | 100,682 | 1.66 | 1.69 | $28.44 |
| Fall River Public Library | Fall River | 93,682 | 1.22 | 1.23 | $21.81 |
| Lawrence Public Library | Lawrence | 87,954 | 0.79 | 0.33 | $19.97 |
| Newton Free Library | Newton | 87,381 | 5.11 | 14.09 | $71.60 |
| Somerville Public Library | Somerville | 79,762 | 5.04 | 4.62 | $37.84 |
| Framingham Public Library | Framingham | 70,963 | 3.82 | 6.27 | $49.21 |
| Haverhill Public Library | Haverhill | 67,153 | 2.64 | 2.96 | $37.90 |
| Charlotte and William Bloomberg Medford Public Library | Medford | 65,399 | 3.43 | 6.16 | $40.61 |
| Malden Public Library | Malden | 64,712 | 6.16 | 3.24 | $26.71 |
| Plymouth Public Library | Plymouth | 64,269 | 3.09 | 4.23 | $44.69 |
| Waltham Public Library | Waltham | 64,065 | 3.88 | 6.47 | $71.59 |
| Brookline Public Library | Brookline | 62,535 | 8.73 | 13.01 | $85.51 |
Highest rates among systems serving 5,000 or more
Of the state's profiled systems, 253 serve at least 5,000 residents.
Visits per resident
- Eldredge Public Library · 19.81
- Concord Free Public Library · 19.47
- Edgartown Free Public Library · 15.47
- Snow Library · 14.37
- Sargent Memorial Library · 13.40
Checkouts per resident
- Hopkinton Public Library · 28.61
- Weston Public Library · 23.54
- Lilly Library · 21.53
- Cary Memorial Library · 20.19
- Watertown Free Public Library · 20.19
Spending per resident
- Edgartown Free Public Library · $215.64
- Eldredge Public Library · $197.79
- Dover Town Library · $189.02
- Weston Public Library · $185.32
- Lincoln Public Library · $178.36
Revenue mix
Combined operating revenue of $418 million across the 354 systems that reported every revenue source.
- Local government
- State
- Federal
- Other