Public library systems in New Mexico
The 91 profiled public library systems in New Mexico served 1.6 million residents in FY 2024 and logged 2.98 visits and 3.13 physical checkouts per resident, which ranks 28th and 40th among the 50 states and DC. Operating spending came to $40.68 per resident (34th nationally). Local government supplied 85% of operating revenue, against 85% for all profiled systems nationwide, and the state government 7%.
The largest system is Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library System, serving 676,444 residents; 3 systems serve 100,000 or more. At the end of the year, 73% of the state's profiled systems charged no overdue fines on print items. The most common legal form is the municipal library (56 systems).
Visits per resident, system by system
Each dot is one New Mexico 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library System | Albuquerque | 676,444 | 2.42 | 2.98 | $28.03 |
| Thomas Branigan Memorial Library | Las Cruces | 111,385 | 2.48 | 2.96 | $26.36 |
| Rio Rancho Public Library | Rio Rancho | 104,046 | 1.48 | 3.29 | $38.11 |
| Santa Fe Public Library | Santa Fe | 87,505 | 5.24 | 6.01 | $63.60 |
| Roswell Public Library | Roswell | 48,422 | 3.63 | 1.65 | $29.23 |
| Farmington Public Library | Farmington | 46,624 | 3.02 | 3.90 | $91.62 |
| Hobbs Public Library | Hobbs | 40,508 | 1.02 | 1.75 | $28.79 |
| Clovis Carver Public Library | Clovis | 38,567 | 1.83 | 1.72 | $27.08 |
| Carlsbad Public Library | Carlsbad | 32,238 | 4.56 | 1.76 | $32.74 |
| Alamogordo Public Library | Alamogordo | 30,898 | 2.67 | 3.12 | $35.04 |
| Octavia Fellin Public Library | Gallup | 21,899 | 4.99 | 2.48 | $71.63 |
| Los Alamos County Library System | Los Alamos | 19,419 | 11.64 | 14.33 | $163.34 |
| Los Lunas Public Library | Los Lunas | 17,242 | 3.03 | 2.39 | $85.09 |
| Sunland Park Community Library | Sunland Park | 16,702 | 1.11 | 0.27 | $9.53 |
| Marshall Memorial Library | Deming | 14,758 | 2.02 | 1.01 | $22.01 |
| Carnegie Public Library | Las Vegas | 13,166 | 0.69 | 0.56 | $32.63 |
| Artesia Public Library | Artesia | 12,875 | 3.50 | 2.37 | $46.30 |
| Portales Public Library | Portales | 12,137 | 3.45 | 2.34 | $40.79 |
| Lovington Public Library | Lovington | 11,668 | 1.57 | 0.74 | $31.80 |
| Espanola Public Library | Espanola | 10,526 | 3.28 | 2.27 | $21.53 |
Highest rates among systems serving 5,000 or more
Of the state's profiled systems, 39 serve at least 5,000 residents.
Visits per resident
- Taos Public Library · 13.26
- Ruidoso Public Library · 11.86
- Placitas Community Library · 11.73
- Los Alamos County Library System · 11.64
- Belen Public Library · 7.21
Checkouts per resident
- Los Alamos County Library System · 14.33
- Ruidoso Public Library · 9.28
- Taos Public Library · 8.64
- Arthur Johnson Memorial Library · 6.58
- Santa Fe Public Library · 6.01
Spending per resident
- Los Alamos County Library System · $163.34
- Pueblo of Isleta Public Library · $146.74
- Belen Public Library · $111.88
- Farmington Public Library · $91.62
- Taos Public Library · $87.10
Revenue mix
Combined operating revenue of $72 million across the 91 systems that reported every revenue source.
- Local government
- State
- Federal
- Other