Public library systems in Tennessee
The 184 profiled public library systems in Tennessee served 6.9 million residents in FY 2024 and logged 1.80 visits and 2.69 physical checkouts per resident, which ranks 46th and 45th among the 50 states and DC. Operating spending came to $24.55 per resident (49th nationally). Local government supplied 94% of operating revenue, against 85% for all profiled systems nationwide, and the state government 1%.
The largest system is Memphis Public Library and Information Center, serving 791,686 residents; 10 systems serve 100,000 or more. At the end of the year, 43% of the state's profiled systems charged no overdue fines on print items. The most common legal form is the municipal library (103 systems).
Visits per resident, system by system
Each dot is one Tennessee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis Public Library and Information Center | Memphis | 791,686 | 1.15 | 0.80 | $29.16 |
| Nashville Public Library | Nashville | 712,334 | 3.87 | 4.64 | $75.07 |
| Knox County Public Library System | Knoxville | 500,669 | 2.07 | 4.34 | $30.08 |
| Rutherford County Library System | Murfreesboro | 327,503 | 1.74 | 4.18 | $11.64 |
| Clarksville Montgomery County Public Library | Clarksville | 239,872 | 0.99 | 1.88 | $12.07 |
| Chattanooga Public Library | Chattanooga | 187,030 | 1.81 | 3.93 | $42.86 |
| Williamson County Public Library | Franklin | 161,569 | 1.88 | 5.02 | $22.06 |
| Blount County Public Library | Maryville | 141,455 | 1.52 | 3.09 | $18.40 |
| Cleveland Bradley County Public Library | Cleveland | 111,579 | 1.32 | 2.19 | $12.14 |
| Hendersonville Public Library of Sumner County | Hendersonville | 104,912 | 1.83 | 1.77 | $8.92 |
| Jackson-Madison County Library | Jackson | 99,193 | 1.72 | 2.97 | $16.85 |
| Sevier County Public Library System | Sevierville | 89,357 | 2.56 | 3.01 | $20.31 |
| Maury County Public Library | Columbia | 88,238 | 3.11 | 1.06 | $10.52 |
| Lebanon-Wilson County Public Library | Lebanon | 87,849 | 1.29 | 2.48 | $12.07 |
| Putnam County Library | Cookeville | 83,844 | 0.86 | 2.36 | $13.05 |
| Spring Hill Public Library | Spring Hill | 80,148 | 0.80 | 5.13 | $13.23 |
| Sullivan County Public Library | Blountville | 77,577 | 0.58 | 1.11 | $13.83 |
| Mt. Juliet-Wilson County Public Library | Mt. Juliet | 75,825 | 1.83 | 4.09 | $11.37 |
| Johnson City Public Library | Johnson City | 73,337 | 3.35 | 6.55 | $31.92 |
| Greeneville-Greene County Public Library | Greeneville | 70,033 | 0.25 | 0.95 | $6.44 |
Highest rates among systems serving 5,000 or more
Of the state's profiled systems, 147 serve at least 5,000 residents.
Visits per resident
- Pigeon Forge Public Library · 7.14
- Collegedale Public Library · 5.52
- Pickett County Public Library · 5.36
- Germantown Community Library · 5.11
- The John P. Holt Brentwood Library · 4.61
Checkouts per resident
- The John P. Holt Brentwood Library · 10.44
- Collegedale Public Library · 10.30
- Germantown Community Library · 7.76
- Johnson City Public Library · 6.55
- Town of Signal Mountain Library · 6.37
Spending per resident
- Pigeon Forge Public Library · $102.48
- Nashville Public Library · $75.07
- The John P. Holt Brentwood Library · $71.86
- Germantown Community Library · $49.85
- Oak Ridge Public Library · $49.09
Revenue mix
Combined operating revenue of $172 million across the 184 systems that reported every revenue source.
- Local government
- State
- Federal
- Other