Library · Boulder
Boulder Public Library
Boulder’s library is the Boulder Public Library, a branch of Boulder Public Library District, open about 60 hours a week.
IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024County system. Boulder’s branch belongs to Boulder Public Library District, which serves 133,697 people. The yearly numbers below are for the whole system, not just this branch. A card works at every branch.
Your branch
Boulder Public Library
1001 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder 80302
60 hrsopen a week
92,164sq ft
Fine-freeNo late fees on books returned late
E-books & audiobooksBorrow from home with your card
Auto-renews loansBooks renew on their own if no one’s waiting
Research databasesOnline courses, journals, genealogy and more
Fiscal year 2024
A year at Boulder Public Library District
625K
visits
4.7 per resident
1.6M
loans, print + digital
12.0 per resident
4,495
programs & events
75K attended
136K
library cards
100% of people served
How it compares
Against libraries serving 100,000+ people
Per-resident numbers, compared only with libraries of a similar size across the country, because a tiny town’s library always looks busier per person.
Visits per resident
4.7 visits · typical 2.1
Top 10% of similar-size libraries
Borrowing per resident
7.7 print items · typical 3.2
Higher than 87% of similar-size libraries
Digital borrowing
4.3 e-items · typical 1.4
Top 10% of similar-size libraries
Kids’ borrowing
4.1 kids’ items · typical 1.6
Higher than 87% of similar-size libraries
Program attendance
0.6 attendees · typical 0.2
Top 10% of similar-size libraries
Cardholders
100% of residents
Top 10% of similar-size libraries
Borrowing & programs
What people use it for
What people borrow
1.6M loans last year
Books & media (adults)30%Kids’ books & media34%E-books, audio & streaming36%
Who the programs are for
4,495 story times, classes, clubs and events
Money
Who pays for it
$213 per resident a year
Typical for a library this size: $36. Operating budget $28M.
Local 61%State 0%Gifts & other 39%
Locations
Other Boulder Public Library District branches in Boulder
About these numbers
How to read this page
Hours are an averageThe survey reports a building’s public hours for the whole year. We divide by the weeks it was open, so check the library’s own site for today’s hours.
Compared by size“Similar-size” means libraries serving about as many people, nationwide. Per-resident numbers always flatter the smallest towns, so they’re never compared with big cities.
One year, the library’s own countLibraries report their own visits, loans and programs for fiscal year 2024. A library that didn’t respond keeps its address and hours here, with no numbers.
Source: Institute of Museum and Library Services, Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024. Distances are straight-line from the town center.