Fond du Lac Public Library

What Fond du Lac Public Library does

The Fond du Lac Public Library is a municipal public library system serving the City of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and surrounding areas, governed by the Fond du Lac Library Board and funded through public tax revenues and grants. It operates four physical locations — the Main Library downtown at 32 Sheboygan St., the Allen J. Buechel Branch on the east side, Chapter 52 Bookstore (a used bookstore celebrating its 10-year anniversary), and the Fond du Lac Literacy Services center — plus homebound delivery for patrons unable to visit. The core technology stack is built on the SirsiDynix integrated library system for catalog/patron management, layered with statewide consortium integrations through the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium (Libby/OverDrive digital lending, 10-item checkout cap, 21-day loan periods), BadgerLink databases, and the Winnefox Library System covering five Wisconsin counties.

The library's product portfolio extends well beyond traditional media lending. Digital channels include Kanopy streaming (15 free tickets per patron per month) and Comics Plus for unlimited digital comics. Special Collections add a "Library of Things" dimension: games, equipment rentals (karaoke machines, projectors, ukuleles, snow shoes), Book Club Kits, Kits for Kids, and Experience Passes granting free admission to a dozen-plus regional attractions including Milwaukee County Zoo and Wisconsin State Parks. The Idea Studio is a 15+ piece makerspace (3D printers, laser cutter, embroidery machine, recording studio, printmaking press) with badging and training programs. Service offerings span a Children's Room, dedicated Teen Space, Seefeld Local History Room (2,600+ items), test proctoring, Book a Librarian sessions, meeting room rentals, and adult literacy tutoring.

The library serves free to cardholders across five customer segments — children, teens, adults, educators, and homebound patrons — with no commercial revenue model. Nominal fees exist only for ancillary services such as printing ($0.10/page), laminating, faxing, comb binding, and McLane Room meeting rental ($10, waivable for book clubs). The operating model is community/government-funded rather than transactional: outreach is delivered through the website, Constant Contact email newsletter, social media, press releases, and direct partnerships with 40+ local businesses for Summer Reading Program prize sponsorship.

Name

Fond du Lac Public Library

Legal name

Fond du Lac Public Library

Website

https://fdlpl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Fond du Lac Public Library is a municipal library system serving Fond du Lac, Wisconsin residents through four physical locations and digital platforms, offering free physical and digital media lending, an Idea Studio makerspace, Experience Passes to regional attractions, and community programs for children, teens, adults, educators, and homebound patrons.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (519210), Libraries and Archives (51921)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Library & Electronic Resources Operations (e-Resources, Repositories, Licensing) (EDAEAGAF), Archives, Special Collections & Preservation Operations (Rare Materials, Conservation) (EDAEAGAJ), Library User Services & Information Support (Reference, Research Help, Instruction Support) (EDAEAGAL), Library-Based Learning Programs (Public Libraries) (EDAAAFAA)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Digital media lending
• Community education programs
• Local history archives
• Makerspace and equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Fond Du Lac

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Library Funding: As a public library, Fond du Lac Public Library is primarily funded through public tax revenues and municipal funding rather than direct revenue generation. Services are provided free to residents holding library cards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Fond du Lac Public Library is a municipal public library system providing free access to physical and digital library collections, including books, ebooks, audiobooks, streaming video, digital comics, and research databases. It operates a makerspace (Idea Studio), maintains a local history and genealogy collection (Seefeld Local History Room), and offers community programming, literacy tutoring, homebound delivery, and meeting room rentals. Services are funded through municipal tax revenues and provided free of charge to library cardholders.

Product overview

Fond du Lac Public Library is a public library system offering a unified platform of services centered around physical and digital media lending. The core offering includes traditional Books & More (physical collection), Research & Learn (databases), and Special Collections (games, kits, equipment, experience passes). The library's digital portfolio includes three major lending platforms: Libby/OverDrive for ebooks and audiobooks, Kanopy Videos for streaming content including Kanopy Kids, and Comics Plus for digital comics. Supporting services include the Idea Studio makerspace, Local History & Genealogy resources, Book Club Support, Homebound Services, and specialized youth services (Children's Services and Teen Services). The Chapter 52 used bookstore provides additional community engagement. The library serves patrons through its Main Library, Allen J. Buechel Branch, and Fond du Lac Literacy Services location.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Books & More Physical and digital library collection including books, DVDs, music CDs, magazines, and special collections available for borrowing with a library card.
• Research & Learn Online research databases and learning resources including academic databases, genealogical tools, newspaper archives, and educational content available through the library.
• Libby/OverDrive Digital Lending Digital lending platform for borrowing ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines. Patrons can check out up to 10 items at a time for up to 21 days and send borrowed ebooks to Kindle devices.
• Kanopy Streaming Video Free streaming video service offering thousands of movies, documentaries, and educational content with 15 free viewing tickets monthly, accessible on mobile devices, Smart TVs, and computers.
• Comics Plus Digital comic and graphic novel platform offering unlimited access to thousands of titles across Complete, Kids, and Teens collections with no holds or wait lists.
• Idea Studio Makerspace Makerspace with over fifteen pieces of equipment including 3D printers, embroidery machine, laser cutter, recording studio, and printmaking press. Offers training, badging, and drop-in projects for patrons age 13 and older.
• Local History & Genealogy Seefeld Local History Room with over 2,600 items related to Fond du Lac and County history, including newspapers, plat maps, cemetery records, family histories, and access to Ancestry and FamilySearch databases.
• Special Collections Non-traditional library materials including board games, video games, role-playing game kits, outdoor games, book club kits, experience passes to museums and attractions, equipment rentals, and educational kits for children.
• Experience Passes Free passes to regional museums, attractions, and state parks including Mitchell Park Domes, Milwaukee County Zoo, Children's Museum of Fond du Lac, and Wisconsin State Parks. Circulating passes check out for 4 days.
• Summer Reading Program Annual reading incentive program with the theme 'Unearth a Story' for 2026. Patrons of all ages track reading minutes to earn prizes, with online tracking via Beanstack or paper cards.
• Children's Services Services for children including the Children's Room with books for all ages, storytimes, 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program, Reading Dragons reading challenge, StoryWalk, and access to the Cindy Casetta Barden Teachers' Resource Center.
• Teen Services Dedicated Teen Space with fiction, graphic novels, video games, computers, and activities. Features 100 Books Before Graduation challenge, Anime Afternoons, Ready Set Roleplay tabletop gaming, and Teen Mystery Bags.
• Meeting Room Reservations Four meeting rooms available for reservation including the McLane Room (up to 72 people), Community Room (up to 20 people), Seefeld Room, and Shared Office Space. Reservations accepted 90 days in advance.
• Homebound Services Home delivery of library materials to patrons within the city of Fond du Lac who cannot visit in person, including those in assisted care facilities. Also offers Nursing Home Book Box program for large print collections.
• Book Club Kits Pre-packaged kits containing 8-10 copies of the same book with discussion questions for readers, juvenile, and teen audiences. Available for checkout to support book club meetings.
• Equipment Rentals (Library of Things) Loanable equipment including karaoke machines, cake pans, snow shoes, ukuleles, projectors, and other items for patrons to try hobbies or meet special needs before purchasing.
• Book Club Support Free meeting spaces, extra copies of popular book club titles (60-day checkout), discussion guides, and interlibrary loan access for book clubs.
• Adult Services Services for adults including free internet access, printing/faxing, laminating, binding, test proctoring, Book a Librarian sessions, and technology assistance.
• Literacy Services Adult literacy tutoring program developing reading, writing, speaking, and math skills through trained volunteer tutors working one-on-one with students.
• Chapter 52 Bookstore Used bookstore operated by the library at 52 Sheboygan St., next door to the Main Library. Offers discounted books, DVDs, and books on CD. Open Monday-Wednesday 2-6 pm and Saturday 9 am-1 pm.
• Kits for Kids Educational activity kits for children including game boards, activity jars, puppet kits, class activity kits, storytime kits, and themed book kits covering topics like manners, science, and literature.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free access to 2,600+ local history items
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Above & Beyond Children's MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCirculating Experience Pass providing free admission for up to 6 individuals. Located at 902 N 8th Street, Sheboygan, WI 53081.
• Barlow PlanetariumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCirculating pass allowing admission for 2 adults and all children under 18. Located at 1478 Midway Road, Menasha, WI 54952.
• Betty Brinn Children's MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFree daily admission for up to 6 guests plus 10% discount at café and gift shop. Located at 929 E. Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53202.
• Bookworm GardensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCirculating pass with 4-day checkout for General Admission of up to 4 visitors. Located at 1415 Campus Drive, Sheboygan, WI 53081.
• Building for Kids Children's MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCirculating pass allowing admission for two adults and children within the same household. Located at 100 West College Avenue, Appleton, WI 54911.
• Children's Museum of Fond du LaccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCirculating pass providing free admission for one household. Located at 75 West Scott St., Fond du Lac, WI.
• Wisconsin Public Library Consortium (WPLC)coreTechnology or IntegrationProvides digital content including ebooks, eaudiobooks, and magazines through Wisconsin's Digital Library, accessible via Libby/OverDrive.
• Winnefox Library SystemcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides access to shared digital collections, databases, vital records for 5 Wisconsin counties, and interlibrary loan services.
• BadgerLinkcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides access to statewide databases including Academic Search Premier, Chilton Library, Consumer Reports, GreenFILE, Health databases, and other research resources.
• Wisconsin State ParksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne-time use pass allowing entry for one vehicle with Wisconsin license plates into any Wisconsin State Park for one day.
• Wisconsin Historical SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCirculating pass for General Admission to the museum and 10+ historic sites across Wisconsin including Circus World, Villa Louis, and Old World Wisconsin.
• Milwaukee County ZoominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCirculating pass good for free admission for up to 8 persons plus 1 parking pass. Located at 10001 W. Bluemound Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226.
• Mitchell Park DomesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCirculating pass for free admission for all household members, valid year-round, plus 10% discount at Gifts Under Glass Gift Shop.
• Fond du Lac Area FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndowment fund that made possible the Cindy Casetta Barden Teachers' Resource Center for educators and homeschool families.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Appleton Public Library: Municipal public library serving Appleton, Wisconsin — a nearby Fox Cities peer of comparable municipal scale and service model, including digital lending, makerspace offerings, and Summer Reading programming through the same Winnefox and WPLC cooperatives.
• Oshkosh Public Library: Municipal public library serving Oshkosh, Wisconsin — a directly comparable Wisconsin city library operating under the same Winnefox Library System and offering overlapping digital lending, programming, and local history services.
• Brown County Library: County-level library system serving Green Bay and surrounding Brown County, Wisconsin — a closely comparable Wisconsin public library peer participating in the same state consortium structures and serving a similar community of library users.
• Sheboygan County Library System: Multi-branch public library system serving Sheboygan County, Wisconsin — a regional Wisconsin peer with overlapping digital platform partnerships (Libby/OverDrive, Kanopy), Summer Reading programs, and a similar operating model to Fond du Lac.
• Manitowoc Public Library: Municipal public library serving Manitowoc, Wisconsin — a similar-sized Wisconsin lakeside city library operating under the same state-level cooperative structures (WPLC, Winnefox) and offering a comparable mix of physical lending, digital access, and community programming.

Broad incumbents

• Milwaukee Public Library: Major urban public library system serving Milwaukee, Wisconsin — a broader Wisconsin incumbent that operates the same digital lending and programming categories at significantly larger scale, and is funded under the same Wisconsin municipal library framework.
• Madison Public Library: Large urban public library system serving Madison, Wisconsin — a broader statewide incumbent in the same municipal public library space with multiple branches, an active makerspace footprint, and overlapping digital lending partnerships that make it a top-tier Wisconsin comparability reference.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ideastudioFDLPL
• Xx.com/fdlpl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 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 Fond du Lac Public Library