Library · Benson
Benson Public Library
Benson’s library is the Benson Public Library, a branch of Pioneerland Library System, open about 46 hours a week.
IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024Multi-county system. Benson’s branch belongs to Pioneerland Library System, which serves 161,633 people. The yearly numbers below are for the whole system, not just this branch. A card works at every branch.
Your branch
Benson Public Library
200 13th Street North, Benson 56215
46 hrsopen a week
6,154sq ft
Charges late finesLate fees on some overdue items
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 Pioneerland Library System
385K
visits
2.4 per resident
561K
loans, print + digital
3.5 per resident
3,727
programs & events
57K attended
47K
library cards
29% 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
2.4 visits · typical 2.1
Higher than 60% of similar-size libraries
Borrowing per resident
2.9 print items · typical 3.2
A little below typical (44th percentile)
Digital borrowing
0.6 e-items · typical 1.4
Lower than most similar-size libraries (19th percentile)
Kids’ borrowing
1.4 kids’ items · typical 1.6
A little below typical (44th percentile)
Program attendance
0.4 attendees · typical 0.2
Higher than 78% of similar-size libraries
Cardholders
29% of residents
A little below typical (26th percentile)
Borrowing & programs
What people use it for
What people borrow
561K loans last year
Books & media (adults)45%Kids’ books & media40%E-books, audio & streaming16%
Who the programs are for
3,727 story times, classes, clubs and events
Money
Who pays for it
$35 per resident a year
Typical for a library this size: $36. Operating budget $5.6M.
Local 76%State 18%Gifts & other 6%
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.