Library · Arlington
Central Library
Arlington’s library is the Central Library, a branch of Arlington Dept. of Libraries, open about 61 hours a week.
IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024County system. Arlington’s branch belongs to Arlington Dept. of Libraries, which serves 237,107 people. The yearly numbers below are for the whole system, not just this branch. A card works at every branch.
Your branch
Central Library
1015 N Quincy St., Arlington 22201
61 hrsopen a week
89,000sq 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 Arlington Dept. of Libraries
1.1M
visits
4.7 per resident
4.3M
loans, print + digital
18.3 per resident
3,261
programs & events
83K attended
88K
library cards
37% 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
4.7 visits · typical 2.1
Top 10% of similar-size libraries
Borrowing per resident
9.2 print items · typical 3.2
Top 10% of similar-size libraries
Digital borrowing
9.1 e-items · typical 1.4
Top 10% of similar-size libraries
Kids’ borrowing
4.7 kids’ items · typical 1.6
Top 10% of similar-size libraries
Program attendance
0.3 attendees · typical 0.2
Higher than 77% of similar-size libraries
Cardholders
37% of residents
A little below typical (41th percentile)
Borrowing & programs
What people use it for
What people borrow
4.3M loans last year
Books & media (adults)25%Kids’ books & media26%E-books, audio & streaming50%
Who the programs are for
3,261 story times, classes, clubs and events
Money
Who pays for it
$77 per resident a year
Typical for a library this size: $36. Operating budget $18M.
Local 98%State 2%
Locations
Other Arlington Dept. of Libraries branches in Arlington
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.