Library · Portales
Portales Public Library
Portales Public Library serves Portales’s 12,137 residents. Last year it logged 41,849 visits, about 3.4 for every resident, and lent 33K books, movies and e-books.
IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024Your library
Portales Public Library
218 S. Ave. B, Portales 88130
46 hrsopen a week
12,660sq ft
45Kbooks & media
Fine-freeNo late fees on books returned late
E-books & audiobooksBorrow from home with your card
Research databasesOnline courses, journals, genealogy and more
#54
#54 of 101 NM libraries for visits per residentAmong every public library system in New Mexico that reported visits
Fiscal year 2024
A year at the library
42K
visits
3.4 per resident
33K
loans, print + digital
2.7 per resident
243
programs & events
7,428 attended
5,483
library cards
45% of people served
How it compares
Against libraries serving 10,000 to 25,000 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
3.4 visits · typical 3.1
Higher than 56% of similar-size libraries
Borrowing per resident
2.3 print items · typical 3.9
A little below typical (29th percentile)
Digital borrowing
0.4 e-items · typical 1.1
Lower than most similar-size libraries (19th percentile)
Kids’ borrowing
1.1 kids’ items · typical 1.8
A little below typical (33th percentile)
Program attendance
0.6 attendees · typical 0.4
Higher than 67% of similar-size libraries
Cardholders
45% of residents
Higher than 60% of similar-size libraries
Borrowing & programs
What people use it for
What people borrow
33K loans last year
Books & media (adults)47%Kids’ books & media39%E-books, audio & streaming14%
Who the programs are for
243 story times, classes, clubs and events
Money
Who pays for it
$41 per resident a year
Typical for a library this size: $43. Operating budget $495K.
Local 91%State 8%Federal 1%Gifts & other 1%
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.