Kitsap Regional Library
Kitsap Regional Library is a tax-funded public library system serving 258,000 Kitsap County, Washington residents through 10 branches, digital platforms, makerspaces, and mobile services providing free access to physical and digital collections.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1945
- HeadquartersBremerton, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Kitsap Regional Library does
Kitsap Regional Library is a tax-funded public library system serving 258,000 residents across Kitsap County, Washington, through 10 community branches, digital platforms, mobile delivery, and makerspace facilities. Founded in 1945 and headquartered in Bremerton, the library operates as a government entity governed by a Board of Trustees under Kitsap County, with an affiliated nonprofit (Kitsap Regional Library Foundation) supporting fundraising. The system has grown from a single Kingston reading room in 1945 to a multi-branch network including the historic Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. branch in Bremerton.
The library's core technology stack is composed of third-party platforms: BiblioCommons for the public catalog and discovery, OverDrive/Libby for ebook and audiobook lending (offering 20,000+ titles), Kanopy for streaming video, Comics Plus for graphic novels, and Mango Languages for language learning. A native iOS/Android app supports catalog search, holds placement, account management, and camera-based self-checkout. Distinctive offerings include makerspaces at Silverdale and Little Boston branches with Glowforge laser cutters and Cricut machines, thematic learning kits (Early Learning, STEM, astronomy, multi-sensory), and curated services like BookMatch, Book-a-Librarian, and Book Bundles.
Revenue is derived primarily from public tax funding and library levies, with services provided free to Kitsap County residents and qualifying Washington state patrons. The only direct patron charges are replacement fees for items lost more than 21 days past due. Go-to-market operates as direct-to-consumer through physical branches, the website, mobile app, home delivery for homebound individuals, and community-led programming including the Summer Learning program (the library's largest annual initiative) and student library accounts integrated with three K-12 school districts. The library employs 101-250 staff across branch management, youth services, adult services, mobile services, and STEM/learning roles.
Kitsap Regional Library firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kitsap Regional Library
- Legal name
- Kitsap Regional Library
- Website
- https://krl.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1945
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Kitsap Regional Library is a tax-funded public library system serving 258,000 Kitsap County, Washington residents through 10 branches, digital platforms, makerspaces, and mobile services providing free access to physical and digital collections.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kitsap Regional Library industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Library Services
- NAICS
- Libraries and Archives (51921), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192), Educational Support Services (6117)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)
Keywords
Where Kitsap Regional Library is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bremerton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices10 records
Markets served
Kitsap Regional Library business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Public Tax Funding: Kitsap Regional Library is a public library system funded primarily through public funding and tax revenue. Library services including home delivery are free to patrons, made possible by public funding.
- Replacement Fees: The library assesses replacement fees for lost or damaged items (21 days after final due date). Refunds available if items returned within one year.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free Library Services |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Replacement Fees for Lost/Damaged Items |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels8 records
Kitsap Regional Library product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kitsap Regional Library is a public library system that provides free access to physical and digital library materials, community programming, makerspace facilities, and educational services through 10 branches across Kitsap County. Core offerings include lending of books, audiobooks, DVDs, video games, and specialized kits (Early Learning, STEM, Astronomy, multi-sensory), complemented by digital platforms for ebooks, streaming video, graphic novels, and language learning.
Product overview
Kitsap Regional Library offers a unified public library system serving Kitsap County through physical branches and digital services. The core offering includes physical collections (books, DVDs, audiobooks, video games) across 10 locations, complemented by digital platforms including Libby/OverDrive for ebooks and audiobooks, Kanopy for video streaming, and Comics Plus for digital graphic novels. Distinctive offerings include makerspaces with equipment like Glowforge laser cutters and Cricut machines, curated learning kits (Early Learning, STEM, multi-sensory), and personalized services such as BookMatch recommendations and Book-a-Librarian sessions. The library provides research databases, language learning through Mango Languages, and the Summer Learning Program as its flagship annual community engagement initiative. Mobile Services extends access to homebound patrons through monthly deliveries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Libby Digital Lending
Quantifiable outcome
- Free access to all library services for Kitsap County residents
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Kitsap Regional Library
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Kitsap Regional Library technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration11 records
Feature5 records
Kitsap Regional Library partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Boys & Girls ClubminorCo-located with Kingston branch in the Village Green Community Center, sharing the community building space.
- Bremerton School DistrictcoreStudent library account partnership allowing any student within the school district to use their student ID number as a library card, gaining access to all library resources including physical materials, digital content, and dedicated teen spaces.
- North Kitsap School DistrictcoreStudent library account partnership with ID prefix 'nk+' enabling students to access library resources using their school credentials.
- South Kitsap School DistrictcoreStudent library account partnership with ID prefix 'sk+' enabling students to access library resources using their school credentials.
- Washington Youth AcademyminorRecruited community internship participants from Washington Youth Academy. Intern Andrew Parry later received a scholarship to Western Washington University.
- Kingston Friends of the LibraryminorNonprofit volunteer group that raises funds for library maintenance and programs. Holds used book sales inside the Village Green and online.
- City of BremertoncoreCity owns and maintains the historic Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. building. Renovated in 2007 and 2019. Kitsap Regional Library provides services, staff, and collections.
- NAACPminorCommunity partner in the formal dedication of the Downtown Bremerton branch as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library Building in 1999.
- Village Green Metropolitan Park DistrictcoreOwns the Village Green Community Center where the Kingston branch is located. Kitsap Regional Library provides facilities support, services, staff, and collections for the library portion of the building.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Kitsap Regional Library competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sno-Isle Libraries: Public library system serving Snohomish and Island counties in Washington state. Directly comparable to KRL as a regional, tax-funded library system with similar service mix (physical branches, digital lending, community programming) and geographic scope.
- King County Library System (KCLS): Washington state's largest public library system serving the greater King County area. Closest direct peer in terms of governance structure, service offering, and digital platform mix (BiblioCommons, OverDrive), though substantially larger in scale.
- Pierce County Library System: Public library system serving Pierce County, Washington — Kitsap's neighbor across the Narrows. Operates with a similar branch network, levy-funded model, and program portfolio including makerspaces and Summer Learning equivalents.
- Timberland Regional Library: Regional library system serving five counties in southwest Washington. Comparable in scale, multi-county governance, and service mix including Libby/OverDrive digital lending, community programming, and outreach services.
- Whatcom County Library System: Public library system serving Whatcom County, Washington (Bellingham area). Comparable mid-sized regional library with similar community-led programming, digital lending, and rural/semi-rural branch mix.
- Mid-Columbia Libraries: Intercounty rural library district serving Benton, Franklin, and other mid-Columbia counties in Washington. Directly comparable as a multi-branch, tax-funded public library serving a similar population scale to Kitsap County.
- Spokane County Library District: Public library district serving unincorporated Spokane County and partner cities. Comparable in funding model (property tax levy), branch count, and inclusion of community programming and digital lending services.
- Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries: Regional library system serving Clark, Skamania, and Klickitat counties in southwest Washington. Closely comparable as a multi-county regional library with BiblioCommons, OverDrive/Libby, and similar makerspace programming rollout.
Others
- BiblioCommons: Catalog and discovery platform provider used by KRL and a majority of Washington public library systems. Key technology ecosystem peer — KRL's digital patron experience is built on this platform alongside hundreds of other North American public libraries.
- OverDrive: Digital lending platform (Libby) used by KRL for ebooks, audiobooks, and digital magazines. Strategic technology ecosystem partner whose pricing, content deals, and product roadmap materially affect KRL's digital service offering.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kitsap Regional Library social profiles
Digital presenceKitsap Regional Library compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Kitsap Regional Library financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kitsap Regional Library leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Kitsap Regional Library subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Kitsap Regional Library funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kitsap Regional Library M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kitsap Regional Library
What does Kitsap Regional Library do?
Kitsap Regional Library is a public library system that provides free access to physical and digital library materials, community programming, makerspace facilities, and educational services through 10 branches across Kitsap County. Core offerings include lending of books, audiobooks, DVDs, video games, and specialized kits (Early Learning, STEM, Astronomy, multi-sensory), complemented by digital platforms for ebooks, streaming video, graphic novels, and language learning.
Is Kitsap Regional Library a public or private company?
Kitsap Regional Library is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Kitsap Regional Library founded?
Kitsap Regional Library was founded in 1945. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Kitsap Regional Library based?
Kitsap Regional Library is headquartered in Bremerton, United States, in the North America region.
How does Kitsap Regional Library make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Public Tax Funding is the primary driver. The others are replacement Fees.
Who are Kitsap Regional Library's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sno-Isle Libraries, King County Library System (KCLS), Pierce County Library System, Timberland Regional Library, Whatcom County Library System, Mid-Columbia Libraries, Spokane County Library District and Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries. Others are BiblioCommons and OverDrive.
Does Kitsap Regional Library have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kitsap Regional Library.
What industry is Kitsap Regional Library in?
Kitsap Regional Library's product category is Public Library Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIACAO, Public Libraries & Information Services. Its NAICS code is 51921 and its SIC code is 8200.