Library · Bethlehem
Bethlehem Public Library
Bethlehem’s library is the Bethlehem Public Library, a branch of Bethlehem Public Library, open about 68 hours a week.
IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024School-district system. Bethlehem’s branch belongs to Bethlehem Public Library, which serves 28,631 people. The yearly numbers below are for the whole system, not just this branch. A card works at every branch.
Your branch
Bethlehem Public Library
451 Delaware Avenue, Delmar 12054
68 hrsopen a week
32,360sq 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 Bethlehem Public Library
222K
visits
7.7 per resident
655K
loans, print + digital
22.9 per resident
907
programs & events
39K attended
22K
library cards
77% 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
7.7 visits · typical 2.6
Top 10% of similar-size libraries
Borrowing per resident
16.5 print items · typical 3.7
Top 10% of similar-size libraries
Digital borrowing
6.4 e-items · typical 1.2
Top 10% of similar-size libraries
Kids’ borrowing
6.7 kids’ items · typical 1.7
Top 10% of similar-size libraries
Program attendance
1.4 attendees · typical 0.3
Top 10% of similar-size libraries
Cardholders
77% of residents
Higher than 89% of similar-size libraries
Borrowing & programs
What people use it for
What people borrow
655K loans last year
Books & media (adults)43%Kids’ books & media29%E-books, audio & streaming28%
Who the programs are for
907 story times, classes, clubs and events
Money
Who pays for it
$159 per resident a year
Typical for a library this size: $40. Operating budget $4.6M.
Local 94%State 1%Gifts & other 5%
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.