Library · Knoxville
Lawson Mcghee Library
Knoxville’s library is the Lawson Mcghee Library, a branch of Knox County Public Library System, open about 64 hours a week.
IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024County system. Knoxville’s branch belongs to Knox County Public Library System, which serves 500,669 people. The yearly numbers below are for the whole system, not just this branch. A card works at every branch.
Your branch
Lawson Mcghee Library
500 W. Church Avenue, Knoxville 37902
64 hrsopen a week
70,600sq ft
Charges late finesLate fees on some overdue items
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 Knox County Public Library System
1M
visits
2.1 per resident
3.2M
loans, print + digital
6.4 per resident
2,511
programs & events
89K attended
183K
library cards
36% 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
2.1 visits · typical 2.1
A little below typical (49th percentile)
Borrowing per resident
4.3 print items · typical 3.2
Higher than 64% of similar-size libraries
Digital borrowing
2.1 e-items · typical 1.4
Higher than 64% of similar-size libraries
Kids’ borrowing
2.5 kids’ items · typical 1.6
Higher than 69% of similar-size libraries
Program attendance
0.2 attendees · typical 0.2
A little below typical (38th percentile)
Cardholders
36% of residents
A little below typical (40th percentile)
Borrowing & programs
What people use it for
What people borrow
3.2M loans last year
Books & media (adults)29%Kids’ books & media39%E-books, audio & streaming32%
Who the programs are for
2,511 story times, classes, clubs and events
Money
Who pays for it
$30 per resident a year
Typical for a library this size: $36. Operating budget $15M.
Local 95%State 3%Federal 0%Gifts & other 2%
Locations
Other Knox County Public Library System branches in Knoxville
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.