Library · Bismarck
Bismarck Veterans Memorial Public Library
Bismarck’s library is the Bismarck Veterans Memorial Public Library, a branch of Bismarck Veterans Memorial Public Library, open about 71 hours a week.
IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024County system. Bismarck’s branch belongs to Bismarck Veterans Memorial Public Library, which serves 98,458 people. The yearly numbers below are for the whole system, not just this branch. A card works at every branch.
Your branch
Bismarck Veterans Memorial Public Library
515 N Fifth Street, Bismarck 58501
71 hrsopen a week
70,000sq 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 Bismarck Veterans Memorial Public Library
260K
visits
2.6 per resident
608K
loans, print + digital
6.2 per resident
674
programs & events
25K attended
47K
library cards
48% 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
2.6 visits · typical 2.6
Higher than 51% of similar-size libraries
Borrowing per resident
4.3 print items · typical 3.7
Higher than 56% of similar-size libraries
Digital borrowing
1.9 e-items · typical 1.2
Higher than 70% of similar-size libraries
Kids’ borrowing
1.5 kids’ items · typical 1.7
A little below typical (45th percentile)
Program attendance
0.3 attendees · typical 0.3
A little below typical (37th percentile)
Cardholders
48% of residents
Higher than 65% of similar-size libraries
Borrowing & programs
What people use it for
What people borrow
608K loans last year
Books & media (adults)45%Kids’ books & media24%E-books, audio & streaming31%
Who the programs are for
674 story times, classes, clubs and events
Money
Who pays for it
$34 per resident a year
Typical for a library this size: $40. Operating budget $3.3M.
Local 84%State 9%Gifts & other 7%
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.