Library · Boone
Watauga County Public Library
Boone’s library is the Watauga County Public Library, a branch of Appalachian Regional Library, open about 54 hours a week.
IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024Multi-county system. Boone’s branch belongs to Appalachian Regional Library, which serves 147,653 people. The yearly numbers below are for the whole system, not just this branch. A card works at every branch.
Your branch
Watauga County Public Library
140 Queen St., Boone 28607
54 hrsopen a week
16,043sq ft
Charges late finesLate fees on some overdue items
E-books & audiobooksBorrow from home with your card
Research databasesOnline courses, journals, genealogy and more
Fiscal year 2024
A year at Appalachian Regional Library
300K
visits
2.0 per resident
530K
loans, print + digital
3.6 per resident
2,222
programs & events
38K attended
56K
library cards
38% 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
2.0 visits · typical 2.1
A little below typical (48th percentile)
Borrowing per resident
3.0 print items · typical 3.2
A little below typical (45th percentile)
Digital borrowing
0.6 e-items · typical 1.4
Lower than most similar-size libraries (23th percentile)
Kids’ borrowing
1.5 kids’ items · typical 1.6
A little below typical (49th percentile)
Program attendance
0.3 attendees · typical 0.2
Higher than 61% of similar-size libraries
Cardholders
38% of residents
A little below typical (45th percentile)
Borrowing & programs
What people use it for
What people borrow
530K loans last year
Books & media (adults)39%Kids’ books & media43%E-books, audio & streaming18%
Who the programs are for
2,222 story times, classes, clubs and events
Money
Who pays for it
$21 per resident a year
Typical for a library this size: $36. Operating budget $3M.
Local 69%State 15%Federal 3%Gifts & other 12%
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.