Public library systems in Nebraska
The 221 profiled public library systems in Nebraska served 1.6 million residents in FY 2024 and logged 3.31 visits and 5.85 physical checkouts per resident, which ranks 20th and 14th among the 50 states and DC. Operating spending came to $46.00 per resident (29th nationally). Local government supplied 94% of operating revenue, against 85% for all profiled systems nationwide, and the state government 1%.
The largest system is Omaha Public Library, serving 571,013 residents; 2 systems serve 100,000 or more. At the end of the year, 65% of the state's profiled systems charged no overdue fines on print items. The most common legal form is the municipal library (210 systems).
Visits per resident, system by system
Each dot is one Nebraska 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha Public Library | Omaha | 571,013 | 2.31 | 4.97 | $36.23 |
| Lincoln City Libraries | Lincoln | 326,716 | 2.52 | 6.28 | $37.41 |
| Bellevue Public Library | Bellevue | 63,922 | 1.99 | 4.48 | $22.42 |
| Grand Island Public Library | Grand Island | 52,622 | 2.03 | 4.76 | $41.14 |
| Kearney Public Library | Kearney | 34,362 | 4.70 | 11.06 | $62.31 |
| North Platte Public Library | North Platte | 33,365 | 1.44 | 3.60 | $29.87 |
| Hastings Public Library | Hastings | 30,899 | 2.93 | 6.23 | $49.30 |
| Keene Memorial Library | Fremont | 27,966 | 1.90 | 3.12 | $45.25 |
| Norfolk Public Library | Norfolk | 26,147 | 4.98 | 6.97 | $71.65 |
| Columbus Public Library | Columbus | 24,464 | 7.87 | 4.42 | $61.04 |
| Papillion Public Library | Papillion | 23,791 | 6.08 | 10.87 | $57.87 |
| LA Vista Public Library | LA Vista | 16,346 | 4.49 | 6.16 | $66.54 |
| Lied Scottsbluff Public Library | Scottsbluff | 14,305 | 5.01 | 5.42 | $56.25 |
| South Sioux City Public Library | South Sioux City | 13,856 | 3.22 | 0.77 | $33.16 |
| Beatrice Public Library | Beatrice | 12,262 | 3.18 | 2.94 | $44.07 |
| Lexington Public Library | Lexington | 10,816 | 2.99 | 1.75 | $50.17 |
| Sidney Public Library | Sidney | 9,541 | 3.14 | 1.17 | $49.95 |
| Holdrege Area Public Library | Holdrege | 9,057 | 3.01 | 4.04 | $55.24 |
| Gretna Public Library | Gretna | 9,054 | 3.95 | 8.61 | $66.87 |
| Gering Public Library | Gering | 8,531 | 3.46 | 3.41 | $63.69 |
Highest rates among systems serving 5,000 or more
Of the state's profiled systems, 34 serve at least 5,000 residents.
Visits per resident
- Chadron Public Library · 14.42
- Columbus Public Library · 7.87
- Crete Public Library · 7.84
- Seward Memorial Library · 7.27
- Plattsmouth Public Library · 6.73
Checkouts per resident
- McCook Public Library · 11.42
- Seward Memorial Library · 11.10
- Kearney Public Library · 11.06
- Papillion Public Library · 10.87
- Crete Public Library · 8.71
Spending per resident
- Blair Public Library & Technology Center · $111.46
- Kilgore Memorial Library · $88.95
- Seward Memorial Library · $84.01
- Crete Public Library · $82.21
- Morton-James Public Library · $74.70
Revenue mix
Combined operating revenue of $82.5 million across the 221 systems that reported every revenue source.
- Local government
- State
- Federal
- Other