Library · Columbus
Bartholomew County Public Library
Columbus’s library is the Bartholomew County Public Library, a branch of Bartholomew County Public Library, open about 62 hours a week.
IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024County system. Columbus’s branch belongs to Bartholomew County Public Library, which serves 81,845 people. The yearly numbers below are for the whole system, not just this branch. A card works at every branch.
Your branch
Bartholomew County Public Library
536 Fifth Street, Columbus 47201
62 hrsopen a week
58,000sq 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 Bartholomew County Public Library
235K
visits
2.9 per resident
853K
loans, print + digital
10.4 per resident
1,681
programs & events
45K attended
58K
library cards
70% of people served
How it compares
Against libraries serving 25,000 to 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
2.9 visits · typical 2.6
Higher than 56% of similar-size libraries
Borrowing per resident
6.1 print items · typical 3.7
Higher than 71% of similar-size libraries
Digital borrowing
4.4 e-items · typical 1.2
Top 10% of similar-size libraries
Kids’ borrowing
3.1 kids’ items · typical 1.7
Higher than 75% of similar-size libraries
Program attendance
0.6 attendees · typical 0.3
Higher than 77% of similar-size libraries
Cardholders
70% of residents
Higher than 87% of similar-size libraries
Borrowing & programs
What people use it for
What people borrow
853K loans last year
Books & media (adults)29%Kids’ books & media29%E-books, audio & streaming42%
Who the programs are for
1,681 story times, classes, clubs and events
Money
Who pays for it
$67 per resident a year
Typical for a library this size: $40. Operating budget $5.5M.
Local 76%State 4%Gifts & other 20%
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.