Library · Reno
Downtown Reno Library
Reno’s library is the Downtown Reno Library, a branch of Washoe County Library System, open about 40 hours a week.
IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024County system. Reno’s branch belongs to Washoe County Library System, which serves 508,759 people. The yearly numbers below are for the whole system, not just this branch. A card works at every branch.
Your branch
Downtown Reno Library
301 S Center St., Reno 89501
40 hrsopen a week
58,825sq 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 Washoe County Library System
755K
visits
1.5 per resident
2.3M
loans, print + digital
4.6 per resident
4,466
programs & events
69K attended
220K
library cards
43% 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
1.5 visits · typical 2.1
A little below typical (26th percentile)
Borrowing per resident
2.6 print items · typical 3.2
A little below typical (39th percentile)
Digital borrowing
2.0 e-items · typical 1.4
Higher than 63% of similar-size libraries
Kids’ borrowing
1.3 kids’ items · typical 1.6
A little below typical (42th percentile)
Program attendance
0.1 attendees · typical 0.2
Lower than most similar-size libraries (22th percentile)
Cardholders
43% of residents
Higher than 53% of similar-size libraries
Borrowing & programs
What people use it for
What people borrow
2.3M loans last year
Books & media (adults)28%Kids’ books & media29%E-books, audio & streaming43%
Who the programs are for
4,466 story times, classes, clubs and events
Money
Who pays for it
$31 per resident a year
Typical for a library this size: $36. Operating budget $16M.
Local 99%State 0%Federal 1%
Locations
Other Washoe County Library System branches in Reno
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.