Public library systems in Montana
The 79 profiled public library systems in Montana served 1.1 million residents in FY 2024 and logged 2.98 visits and 3.57 physical checkouts per resident, which ranks 27th and 34th among the 50 states and DC. Operating spending came to $34.85 per resident (41st nationally). Local government supplied 89% of operating revenue, against 85% for all profiled systems nationwide, and the state government 2%.
The largest system is Billings Public Library, serving 157,509 residents; 2 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 county library (25 systems).
Visits per resident, system by system
Each dot is one Montana 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billings Public Library | Billings | 157,509 | 1.76 | 3.00 | $29.22 |
| Missoula Public Library | Missoula | 117,922 | 4.28 | 4.10 | $34.53 |
| Flathead County Library Kalispell | Kalispell | 96,606 | 2.32 | 3.82 | $25.86 |
| Bozeman Public Library | Bozeman | 84,410 | 3.46 | 6.80 | $36.85 |
| Great Falls Public Library | Great Falls | 81,475 | 1.37 | 2.32 | $28.34 |
| Lewis and Clark Library | Helena | 70,973 | 3.36 | 4.06 | $58.68 |
| Butte-Silver Bow Public Library | Butte | 35,133 | 1.89 | 1.09 | $33.08 |
| Bitterroot Public Library | Hamilton | 27,928 | 1.62 | 3.78 | $27.82 |
| Lincoln County Public Libraries | Libby | 19,677 | 2.72 | 3.35 | $24.88 |
| Belgrade Community Library | Belgrade | 17,426 | 3.41 | 5.65 | $46.28 |
| Livingston-Park County Public Library | Livingston | 17,191 | 3.53 | 3.22 | $42.40 |
| Havre-Hill County Library | Havre | 16,309 | 1.82 | 1.43 | $21.83 |
| Glacier County Library | Cut Bank | 13,778 | 0.75 | 1.24 | $14.54 |
| Big Horn County Public Library | Hardin | 13,124 | 2.88 | 0.49 | $22.31 |
| North Lake County Public Library | Polson | 12,688 | 2.94 | 3.09 | $54.68 |
| North Valley Public Library | Stevensville | 11,923 | 3.25 | 4.83 | $38.21 |
| Miles City Public Library | Miles City | 11,867 | 2.22 | 2.10 | $32.57 |
| Sidney-Richland County Library | Sidney | 11,491 | 2.61 | 2.29 | $30.34 |
| Lewistown Public Library | Lewistown | 9,989 | 5.03 | 4.34 | $38.21 |
| St. Ignatius School-Community Library | Saint Ignatius | 9,557 | 0.36 | 0.46 | $1.00 |
Highest rates among systems serving 5,000 or more
Of the state's profiled systems, 36 serve at least 5,000 residents.
Visits per resident
- Jefferson County Library-Boulder · 15.02
- North Jefferson County Library District · 11.82
- Whitefish Community Library · 8.09
- Thompson Falls Public Library · 5.16
- Lewistown Public Library · 5.03
Checkouts per resident
- Whitefish Community Library · 8.19
- Bozeman Public Library · 6.80
- Belgrade Community Library · 5.65
- North Jefferson County Library District · 5.41
- North Valley Public Library · 4.83
Spending per resident
- Jefferson County Library-Boulder · $70.01
- Lewis and Clark Library · $58.68
- North Lake County Public Library · $54.68
- Chouteau County Library · $52.52
- Whitefish Community Library · $48.59
Revenue mix
Combined operating revenue of $42.5 million across the 77 systems that reported every revenue source.
- Local government
- State
- Federal
- Other