Lowville Free Library

What Lowville Free Library does

Lowville Free Library is a single-location public library founded in 1903 and operating from its current building at 5387 Dayan Street in Lowville, New York, serving the Village and Town of Lowville and surrounding Lewis County areas. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit governed by a Board of Trustees and provides free access to a physical collection of more than 14,000 items, digital collections via OverDrive/Libby, public computers and 24/7 outdoor Wi-Fi, printing/copying/scanning/faxing services, museum and park passes, community room rentals, and digital databases including Ancestry.com, Fold3, Kanopy, Universal Class, and ReferenceUSA. Programming spans all ages with recurring storytimes, LEGO Club, Game Night, Knit Together, summer reading, and seasonal activities, and the library partners with Head Start, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Encompass Recreation, and other local organizations for educational and recreational programming.

The library's business model is public-funding-driven rather than commercial. The primary disclosed revenue stream is an annual appropriation from the Lowville Academy and Central School (LACS) District — currently $135,000 and proposed to rise to $155,000 in 2026 through a school ballot referendum — supplemented by discretionary appropriations from Lewis County, the Town of Lowville, and the Village of Lowville, plus grants from New York State, Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush, Stewart's Shops, McSweeney Foundation, and Pratt Northam Foundation, and community donations. Patron-facing services are free of charge; nominal fees apply only to specific ancillary services such as DVD rentals ($1/week) and printing ($0.25/page black-and-white, $1.00/page color). All core technology infrastructure — the integrated catalog, digital lending platform, and library mobile app — is accessed through the library's membership in the North Country Library System (NCLS).

The organization is in the midst of a leadership transition, with Library Director Meghan Harney departing on August 1, 2026 after nearly a decade of service, and the Board of Trustees actively recruiting a replacement. In 2025 the library set records for the second consecutive year across key engagement metrics, indicating growing community utilization of both physical and digital services.

Name

Lowville Free Library

Legal name

Lowville Free Library

Website

https://lowvillefreelibrary.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1903

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lowville Free Library is a 501(c)(3) public library founded in 1903 serving the Village and Town of Lowville in Lewis County, New York. It provides free access to physical and digital collections, programming for all ages, technology resources, and community space, funded primarily through public appropriations, grants, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (519210)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF), Library User Services & Information Support (Reference, Research Help, Instruction Support) (EDAEAGAL)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Community programming
• Library collections
• Digital library resources
• Educational programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Lowville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Funding (School Referendum): Primary funding through Lowville Academy and Central School (LACS) District referendum approved by voters. In 2026, requesting an increase of $20,000 for a total of $155,000 yearly appropriation.
2. Local Government Funding: Discretionary annual funding from Lewis County, Town of Lowville, and Village of Lowville.
3. Grants and Donations: Grant funding from NYS, Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush, Stewart's Shops, McSweeney Foundation, Pratt Northam Foundation, and community donations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lowville Free Library is a public library that provides free access to physical and digital library materials, technology, educational and recreational programming, community meeting spaces, and reference resources to residents of the Village and Town of Lowville and surrounding Lewis County, NY. Its core offering centers on materials circulation (books, audiobooks, DVDs, games), digital collections via Libby/Overdrive, technology access (computers, Wi-Fi, printing), and programs for all ages. Supplementary offerings include museum/park passes, interlibrary loan, digital databases, and community room rental.

Product overview

Lowville Free Library operates as a single-location public library offering a unified portfolio of services centered on materials circulation, digital access, programming, and community spaces. The core offering consists of physical materials (books, DVDs, games, audiobooks) and digital collections accessible via Libby/Overdrive. Supporting services include museum passes, technology access (computers, printing, scanning, Wi-Fi), community room rental, exam proctoring, tech help, and interlibrary loan. Digital databases including Ancestry, Fold3, Universal Class, Kanopy, and NYS Historic Newspapers extend the library's reach beyond its physical collection. Programs span all ages with recurring events like storytime, LEGO Club, Game Night, and seasonal summer reading activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Physical Materials Circulation Checkout of physical items including fiction, nonfiction, large print, mass market paperbacks, young adult, juvenile titles, audiobooks on CD, DVDs, and games. Patrons can check out up to 20 items at once with varying loan periods.
• Digital Collection (E-books and E-audiobooks) Access to thousands of digital titles 24/7 via North Country Libraries Overdrive, usable in browser or via Libby app on mobile devices. Library card required for access.
• Programs and Events Calendar of programs including storytimes, LEGO Club, crafts, summer reading, Game Night, Knit Together, and seasonal activities for children, teens, and adults.
• Museum and Park Passes Check out passes to Empire Pass (NYS Parks), Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology (MOST), Explore Outdoors (Onondaga County Parks), and Splash Indoor Water Park.
• Technology Access and Printing Public computers, printing ($0.25/page B&W, $1.00/page color), copying, scanning (scan-to-email, scan-to-USB), faxing, and 24/7 outdoor Wi-Fi.
• Community Room Rental Multiple community spaces including the Leonard Room, room 2, and kitchen available for community use during library hours. Non-profit and community use only.
• Library Card Services Library cards available online registration with physical or digital card options via North Country Libraries app (Apple and Android).
• Digital Databases and Resources Access to genealogical databases (Ancestry.com, Fold3), newspapers (Watertown Daily Times archives, NYS Historic Newspapers), educational resources (Universal Class, ArtistWorks, Kanopy, NovelNY), business data (ReferenceUSA), and resume tools (Cypress Resume).
• Exam Proctoring Proctoring services for online courses and classes. Scheduling available by phone.
• Tech Help One-on-one technology assistance with library staff for using library resources or basic technology questions.
• Interlibrary Loan Materials borrowed from or lent to other libraries in the North Country Library System, enabling access to hundreds of thousands of titles.
• Niche Academy Tutorials Video tutorials helping patrons learn to use library resources including AncestryLibrary, ArtistWorks, Brainfuse JobNow, Libby, Kanopy, and more.

Quantifiable outcome

• Record-breaking checkouts for second consecutive year in 2025

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Encompass RecreationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with Encompass Recreation to provide LEGO Club programming and other youth activities at the library.
• Head StartcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly childhood education partnership providing programming and resources for young children and families.
• Cornell Cooperative Extension Lewis CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on educational programming including Ag Literacy Week and Farm and Market Discovery Zone events.
• Lewis County FairminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual community event collaboration for local fair activities and programming.
• Double Play Summer ReccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer recreation program partnership providing youth programming during summer break.
• BOCES Summer ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational programming collaboration for summer learning activities.
• Hand in Hand Early Childhood CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly childhood education partnership for young children and families in the community.
• Lowville DECcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDepartment of Environmental Conservation partnership for outdoor education including Summer Storywalk events.
• North Country Library System (NCLS)coreTechnology or IntegrationMember of NCLS providing shared catalog, interlibrary loan, digital collections (OverDrive/Libby), and system-wide resources.
• Lowville Academy and Central School (LACS) DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary funding partner through school referendum. Library services co-funded by school district ballot measure.
• Village of LowvillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government funding partner providing annual discretionary funding.
• Town of LowvillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government funding partner providing annual discretionary funding.
• Lewis CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty government funding partner providing annual discretionary funding.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Croghan Free Library: Small public library serving Croghan, NY, also part of the North Country Library System. Closest geographic and structural peer — same funding model, similar scale, same regional context.
• Lyons Falls Library: Community library in Lyons Falls, NY, member of the North Country Library System. Directly comparable in mission, scale, and rural upstate New York context.
• Harrisville Free Library: Small public library in Harrisville, NY, also within the NCLS consortium. Comparable in funding model (school district + town) and program scope.
• Copenhagen Public Library: Public library in Copenhagen, NY, member of NCLS. Directly comparable in services offered, governance structure, and rural Lewis County / northern NY positioning.
• Port Leyden Community Library: Community library in Port Leyden, NY, within NCLS. Directly comparable in scale, mission, and dependence on school-district and municipal funding.
• Glenfield Free Library: Small public library in Glenfield, NY, part of NCLS. Closely comparable rural upstate public library operating under the same system and funding model.

Broad incumbents

• North Country Library System: The consortium of which Lowville Free Library is a member, providing shared catalog, OverDrive/Libby, interlibrary loan, and centralized support. Serves as both system parent and operating peer at a different (broader) scale.
• New York Public Library: Largest public library system in the U.S., serving New York City. Broad incumbent in the same overall category (public library services), with a vastly larger budget and branch footprint — useful for upper-bound scale comparison.

Regional players

• Flower Memorial Library: Public library in Watertown, NY (Jefferson County), the largest library in the immediate North Country region. Comparable mission and digital resource portfolio at a meaningfully larger scale.

Others

• Overdrive (Libby): Digital content platform that powers the library's e-book, e-audiobook, and digital lending services via the Libby app. Not a competitor but an enabling supplier whose roadmap directly shapes this library's digital reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCAPwqDnSsxeOl2ghlGnbFrw
• Facebookfacebook.com/lowvillefreelibrary
• Instagraminstagram.com/lowvillefreelibrary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lowville-free-library

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lowville Free Library