Library · Dows
Dows Community Library
Dows Community Library serves Dows’s 928 residents. Last year it logged 3,326 visits, about 3.6 for every resident, and lent 4,332 books, movies and e-books.
IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024Your library
Dows Community Library
114 W Ellsworth St., Dows 50071
23 hrsopen a week
2,100sq ft
12Kbooks & media
Charges late finesLate fees on some overdue items
#272
#272 of 515 IA libraries for visits per residentAmong every public library system in Iowa that reported visits
Fiscal year 2024
A year at the library
3,326
visits
3.6 per resident
4,332
loans, print + digital
4.7 per resident
67
programs & events
228 attended
439
library cards
47% of people served
How it compares
Against libraries serving under 2,500 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
3.6 visits · typical 3.5
Higher than 51% of similar-size libraries
Borrowing per resident
4.7 print items · typical 3.9
Higher than 58% of similar-size libraries
Kids’ borrowing
0.6 kids’ items · typical 1.4
A little below typical (25th percentile)
Program attendance
0.2 attendees · typical 0.7
Lower than most similar-size libraries (23th percentile)
Cardholders
47% of residents
A little below typical (43th percentile)
Borrowing & programs
What people use it for
What people borrow
4,332 loans last year
Books & media (adults)88%Kids’ books & media12%E-books, audio & streaming0%
Who the programs are for
67 story times, classes, clubs and events
Money
Who pays for it
$43 per resident a year
Typical for a library this size: $54. Operating budget $40K.
Local 87%State 4%Gifts & other 8%
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.