Library · Westminster
Exploration Commons at 50 East
Westminster’s library is the Exploration Commons at 50 East, a branch of Carroll County Public Library, open about 57 hours a week.
IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024County system. Westminster’s branch belongs to Carroll County Public Library, which serves 173,873 people. The yearly numbers below are for the whole system, not just this branch. A card works at every branch.
Your branch
Exploration Commons at 50 East
50 East Main St., Westminster 21157
57 hrsopen a week
13,618sq 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 Carroll County Public Library
705K
visits
4.1 per resident
3.1M
loans, print + digital
17.9 per resident
5,844
programs & events
145K attended
96K
library cards
55% 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
4.1 visits · typical 2.1
Top 10% of similar-size libraries
Borrowing per resident
15.3 print items · typical 3.2
Top 10% of similar-size libraries
Digital borrowing
2.6 e-items · typical 1.4
Higher than 74% of similar-size libraries
Kids’ borrowing
6.1 kids’ items · typical 1.6
Top 10% of similar-size libraries
Program attendance
0.8 attendees · typical 0.2
Top 10% of similar-size libraries
Cardholders
55% of residents
Higher than 74% of similar-size libraries
Borrowing & programs
What people use it for
What people borrow
3.1M loans last year
Books & media (adults)51%Kids’ books & media34%E-books, audio & streaming15%
Who the programs are for
5,844 story times, classes, clubs and events
Money
Who pays for it
$74 per resident a year
Typical for a library this size: $36. Operating budget $13M.
Local 78%State 15%Federal 2%Gifts & other 5%
Locations
Other Carroll County Public Library branches in Westminster
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.