The Hotchkiss Library of Sharon

What The Hotchkiss Library of Sharon does

The Hotchkiss Library of Sharon is an independent nonprofit public library founded in 1893 when Maria Bissell Hotchkiss commissioned the construction of its landmark Bruce Price-designed building in Sharon, Connecticut, in memory of her husband Benjamin Berkeley Hotchkiss. The library operates from a single location at 10 Upper Main Street on the Sharon Green, which underwent a major restoration and expansion completed in 2023 that added accessible public workspaces, meeting rooms, and what the library describes as the fastest internet in town. It is governed by a Board of Directors led by President Lorna Edmundson, with Gretchen Hachmeister serving as Executive Director since 2018, and supported by approximately 11-15 staff including directors of circulation/children's services, development/events, and community engagement.

The library delivers its core service through the Bibliomation/Biblio shared catalog system, supplemented by digital media partnerships with Hoopla (movies, TV, music, audiobooks, and ebooks), Kanopy (streaming film), and the Palace Project (ebooks), along with research database access via researchIT CT from the Connecticut State Library. Programming spans multiple recurring adult book groups (the Tuesday Afternoon Book Group has met since 2000), children's programs, and signature annual fundraising events including the 27th Annual Sharon Summer Book Signing and the Spring Soiree & Auction. The organization reached a formal volunteer infrastructure through The Guild, established in 2023.

The revenue model is multi-stream and typical of a small-town nonprofit library: municipal support from the Town of Sharon, an Annual Appeal driven by patron donations (the largest single funding source), tiered event sponsorships ranging from $500 to $10,000, ticketed premium experiences (e.g., $450 Early Entry at the Summer Soiree), and free core services to all cardholders. Customer segmentation is geographic (Sharon, CT and surrounding Litchfield County) plus persona-based (children and families, adults and seniors, general community members), with horizontal reach across all ages. There is no disclosed revenue, no AI/ML capability, no proprietary technology build, and no M&A or venture funding activity; growth has been expressed through capacity expansion, programmatic breadth, and event scale rather than commercial scaling.

Name

The Hotchkiss Library of Sharon

Legal name

Hotchkiss Library of Sharon

Website

https://hotchkisslibraryofsharon.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1893

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Hotchkiss Library of Sharon is a nonprofit public library founded in 1893 that serves Sharon, CT and Litchfield County residents with free lending, digital media, research databases, children's and adult programming, and signature fundraising events, funded by municipal support, donations, and event revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF), Library User Services & Information Support (Reference, Research Help, Instruction Support) (EDAEAGAL), Library-Based Learning Programs (Public Libraries) (EDAAAFAA)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Community education programs
• Digital media lending
• Research databases
• Book discussion groups

Headquarters

HQ city

Sharon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Town Funding: Receives generous support from the Town of Sharon as a municipal library service
2. Patron Donations: Most funding comes from patron donations. Relies heavily on annual appeals and donor support to continue offering materials, programs, and services
3. Annual Events: Primary fundraising through annual Summer Book Signing and Fall Gala Auction events. Ticket sales and sponsorships generate significant revenue
4. Event Sponsorships: Corporate and individual sponsorships for signature events at multiple tiers: Legacy ($10,000), Leadership ($5,000), Maria ($2,000), Benjamin ($1,000), Hotchkiss ($500), Author Sponsorship ($1,500), Kids Carnival ($550)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Hotchkiss Library of Sharon is a free, nonprofit public library that lends physical and digital materials, provides online research databases, and runs children's, adult, and cultural programming for Sharon, CT and surrounding Litchfield County. Its primary outputs are library card-based borrowing services, digital media access through Hoopla/Kanopy/Palace Project, in-person and online book discussion groups, children's storytimes and seasonal events, community room reservations, and signature annual author/fundraising events. The library is funded by Town of Sharon appropriations, patron donations, event ticket sales, and tiered sponsorships, and is governed by an independent volunteer Board of Directors.

Product overview

Hotchkiss Library of Sharon is a community public library offering a unified set of services centered around access to physical and digital materials. The core offering includes traditional library catalog and borrowing services for books, media, and materials. Digital services are delivered through partnerships with Hoopla (movies, TV, music, ebooks, audiobooks), Kanopy (streaming films), and the Palace Project (ebooks). Research capabilities are provided through researchIT CT databases. Programming includes children's activities, multiple book discussion groups, and community events. Additional services include room reservations for public spaces and special events like the annual Book Signing Weekend and Spring Soiree & Auction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Library Catalog and Borrowing Services Free card-based borrowing service for physical library materials including books, audiobooks, DVDs, and other items, supported by the Bibliomation Biblio online catalog. Available to any patron who registers for a library card.
• Hoopla Digital Media Downloads Digital lending platform providing cardholders with access to thousands of movies, TV shows, music albums, ebooks, and audiobooks; each cardholder may borrow up to 4 items per month with automatic return and no waiting for popular titles.
• Kanopy Films Streaming film and documentary service accessible to library cardholders via a dedicated Kanopy page for the Hotchkiss Library of Sharon.
• Palace Project ebooks Mobile reading application providing cardholders access to ebooks through the Palace Project platform, with a getting-started guide hosted on the library website.
• researchIT CT Research Databases Statewide online research database service providing CT library cardholders access to journal articles, magazine and newspaper content, legal resources, health information, genealogical databases, and career resources.
• Kids' Programs Children's programming including storytimes, seasonal events, summer reading, and educational activities, scheduled through the library's online kids' events calendar.
• Book Discussion Groups Recurring book discussion groups for adult patrons, including the long-running Tuesday Afternoon Book Group (since 2000), American History Book Group, and Reading With Deeper Eyes Book Group.
• Community Room Reservation Reservation of public meeting and event spaces for community groups and individuals, expanded as part of the 2023 restoration and expansion project.
• Annual Summer Book Signing Weekend Signature annual ticketed literary festival bringing together 24 or more authors for book signings, author dinners, cocktail party, cooking demonstrations, author brunch, and a free community Kids' Carnival.
• Spring/Autumn Soiree and Auction Recurring ticketed gala and auction fundraising event held at venues such as Sharon Country Club, featuring premium and general admission tiers with cocktail party, food, drinks, and auction components.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hoopla DigitalcoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital media service partnership providing thousands of movies, TV shows, music albums, e-books, and audiobooks available to download with a valid library card. Each cardholder may borrow 4 items per month, 8 during pandemic. No waiting for popular titles with automatic return feature.
• KanopycoreTechnology or IntegrationStreaming video service partnership offering films accessible with library card. Library maintains dedicated Kanopy page at hotchkisslibrary.kanopy.com.
• Palace ProjectcoreTechnology or IntegrationMobile reading app for e-books partnered with the library. Getting started guide PDF provided on library website.
• researchIT CT (CT State Library)coreTechnology or IntegrationState library initiative providing online research databases including journal articles, magazine content, newspapers, legal resources, health information, genealogical databases, and career resources for Connecticut library cardholders.
• Harney TeaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for Page to Plate 2026 culinary event, providing refreshing iced tea throughout the day.
• Sharon Country ClubminorOthersVenue partner for Spring Soiree & Auction events, hosting annual fundraising gala.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Oliver Wolcott Library: Public library serving Litchfield, CT, with similar small-town footprint and historic-building character. Directly comparable to Hotchkiss Library, and previously employed one of Hotchkiss's current library assistants (Kathy Amiet).
• Scoville Memorial Library: Historic public library in Salisbury, CT, also serving a Litchfield County town. Comparable in size, mission, and small-town Connecticut public library model.
• David M. Hunt Library: Public library serving Falls Village and the town of Canaan in CT. Similar scale, funding model (town appropriations + donations), and community programming orientation to Hotchkiss Library.
• Norfolk Library: Public library serving Norfolk, CT, in Litchfield County. Operates with a comparable small-staff, donation-supported model and community-focused programming mission.
• Kent Memorial Library: Public library serving Kent, CT. Comparable small-town Connecticut library with mixed municipal/donation funding and active community programming.
• Cornwall Library: Public library serving Cornwall, CT. Similar geographic scale, nonprofit/association governance, and reliance on community donations and events.
• Gunn Memorial Library: Public library serving Washington, CT, in Litchfield County. Similar historic-building public library with active community programming and donation-driven funding.

Broad incumbents

• Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library: Yale's rare book and special collections library. Not a direct competitor but a much larger, broader library institution in Connecticut; relevant comparable for collection stewardship and historic-building library operations.

Others

• Bibliomation: Regional library consortium providing shared catalog services to Connecticut libraries including Hotchkiss. Acts as a technology/infrastructure partner rather than a competing library.
• Sharon Audubon Center: Adjacent community nonprofit in Sharon, CT. Not a library peer but a local nonprofit ecosystem partner referenced in staff backgrounds (teacher-naturalist role); serves overlapping Sharon-area community.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLGCPVqT046_bVLPKBeUGUE1MyCZMG3vWB
• Facebookfacebook.com/hotchkisslibrary

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 The Hotchkiss Library of Sharon