librarysystems

Public library systems in Minnesota

132 profiled systems352 library buildings7 bookmobilesFY 2024

The 132 profiled public library systems in Minnesota served 5.4 million residents in FY 2024 and logged 3.25 visits and 6.95 physical checkouts per resident, which ranks 23rd and 4th among the 50 states and DC. Operating spending came to $46.87 per resident (27th nationally). Local government supplied 89% of operating revenue, against 85% for all profiled systems nationwide, and the state government 3%.

The largest system is Hennepin County Library, serving 1,297,847 residents; 14 systems serve 100,000 or more. At the end of the year, 63% of the state's profiled systems charged no overdue fines on print items. The most common legal form is the municipal library (107 systems).

Compare libraries in Minnesota

Visits per resident, system by system

Each dot is one Minnesota 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.

0.250.5124816321 million+500k–1m250k–500k100k–250k50k–100k25k–50k10k–25k5k–10k2.5k–5k1k–2.5kunder 1kvisits per resident (log scale)
0.5124816321 million+500k–1m250k–500k100k–250k50k–100k25k–50k10k–25k5k–10k2.5k–5k1k–2.5kunder 1kvisits per resident (log scale)

The 20 largest systems

SystemCityResidentsVisits per residentCheckouts per residentSpending per resident
Hennepin County LibraryMinnetonka1,297,8473.698.86$57.68
Great River Regional LibrarySt. Cloud515,8552.194.53$19.03
Dakota County LibraryEagan449,6583.529.39$38.46
Anoka County LibraryBlaine349,7591.695.40$30.80
Saint Paul Public LibrarySaint Paul310,9974.095.86$72.47
Washington County LibraryWoodbury257,1372.666.81$37.83
Ramsey County LibraryShoreview240,1983.358.70$59.33
East Central Regional LibraryCambridge185,6381.933.47$21.03
Kitchigami Regional LibraryPine River180,7651.692.49$21.64
Pioneerland Library SystemWillmar161,6332.382.92$34.66
Scott County LibraryShakopee156,5292.275.57$35.54
Rochester Public LibraryRochester156,0362.567.31$62.95
Lake Agassiz Regional LibraryMoorhead149,6032.683.35$30.14
Carver County Library SystemChaska113,3322.769.28$43.64
Duluth Public LibraryDuluth86,7883.797.20$72.52
Blue Earth County LibraryMankato70,2912.094.81$23.41
Winona Public LibraryWinona49,7211.243.56$24.88
Waseca-Le Sueur Regional LibraryWaseca48,2492.803.82$27.64
Northwest Regional LibraryThief River Falls43,3732.893.67$36.18
Douglas County LibraryAlexandria39,9533.417.39$33.48

Highest rates among systems serving 5,000 or more

Of the state's profiled systems, 69 serve at least 5,000 residents.

Visits per resident

  1. Grand Marais Public Library · 8.06
  2. Stillwater Public Library · 6.85
  3. Northfield Public Library · 6.82
  4. Fergus Falls Public Library · 6.38
  5. North Mankato Taylor Library · 6.30

Checkouts per resident

  1. Stillwater Public Library · 18.09
  2. North Mankato Taylor Library · 10.74
  3. Fergus Falls Public Library · 9.90
  4. Dakota County Library · 9.39
  5. Carver County Library System · 9.28

Spending per resident

  1. Virginia Public Library · $105.59
  2. Stillwater Public Library · $94.68
  3. Grand Marais Public Library · $81.22
  4. East Grand Forks Campbell Library · $79.70
  5. International Falls Public Library · $76.74

Revenue mix

Combined operating revenue of $261 million across the 132 systems that reported every revenue source.

Minnesota89%All profiled systems, US85%
Minnesota89%All profiled systems, US85%
  • Local government
  • State
  • Federal
  • Other