librarysystems

Public library systems in North Dakota

69 profiled systems78 library buildings11 bookmobilesFY 2024

The 69 profiled public library systems in North Dakota served 702,387 residents in FY 2024 and logged 2.51 visits and 4.12 physical checkouts per resident, which ranks 34th and 30th among the 50 states and DC. Operating spending came to $37.78 per resident (38th nationally). Local government supplied 88% of operating revenue, against 85% for all profiled systems nationwide, and the state government 6%.

The largest system is Fargo Public Library, serving 125,990 residents. At the end of the year, 77% of the state's profiled systems charged no overdue fines on print items. The most common legal form is the municipal library (38 systems).

Compare libraries in North Dakota

Visits per resident, system by system

Each dot is one North Dakota 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.

0.250.512481632100k–250k50k–100k25k–50k10k–25k5k–10k2.5k–5k1k–2.5kunder 1kvisits per resident (log scale)
0.512481632100k–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
Fargo Public LibraryFargo125,9903.535.59$43.61
Bismarck Veterans Memorial Public LibraryBismarck98,4582.644.27$33.58
Grand Forks Public LibraryGrand Forks73,1702.105.29$42.28
Minot Public LibraryMinot48,3772.045.13$38.52
West Fargo Public LibraryWest Fargo40,6011.503.98$53.69
Williston Community LibraryWilliston38,7481.822.04$21.74
Dickinson Area Public LibraryDickinson35,2972.172.50$34.70
Morton Mandan Public LibraryMandan33,2911.361.56$33.99
Ward County Public LibraryMinot31,3510.771.93$15.30
James River Valley Library SystemJamestown21,5932.614.05$51.10
McKenzie County Public LibraryWatford City14,7041.882.76$40.52
Lake Region Public LibraryDevils Lake11,6053.642.17$28.98
Valley City Barnes County Public LibraryValley City10,5832.032.54$33.96
Carnegie Regional LibraryGrafton10,5634.260.90$16.73
Leach Public LibraryWahpeton8,0075.433.04$38.22
McLean-Mercer Regional LibraryRiverdale7,9950.200.93$71.54
Bottineau County Public LibraryBottineau6,3792.683.55$41.14
Edgeley Public LibraryEdgeley5,9690.353.85$20.40
Cavalier Public LibraryCavalier5,4391.142.15$24.53
Heart of America LibraryRugby3,9903.053.69$47.98

Highest rates among systems serving 5,000 or more

Of the state's profiled systems, 19 serve at least 5,000 residents.

Visits per resident

  1. Leach Public Library · 5.43
  2. Carnegie Regional Library · 4.26
  3. Lake Region Public Library · 3.64
  4. Fargo Public Library · 3.53
  5. Bottineau County Public Library · 2.68

Checkouts per resident

  1. Fargo Public Library · 5.59
  2. Grand Forks Public Library · 5.29
  3. Minot Public Library · 5.13
  4. Bismarck Veterans Memorial Public Library · 4.27
  5. James River Valley Library System · 4.05

Spending per resident

  1. McLean-Mercer Regional Library · $71.54
  2. West Fargo Public Library · $53.69
  3. James River Valley Library System · $51.10
  4. Fargo Public Library · $43.61
  5. Grand Forks Public Library · $42.28

Revenue mix

Combined operating revenue of $28.8 million across the 69 systems that reported every revenue source.

North Dakota88%All profiled systems, US85%
North Dakota88%All profiled systems, US85%
  • Local government
  • State
  • Federal
  • Other