What Houston County Public Library System does

Houston County Public Library System is a tax-funded public library system operated by Houston County Government, serving residents of Houston County, Georgia through three branch locations: the Perry Branch (1201 Washington Street, Perry), Centerville Branch (206 Gunn Road, Centerville), and Nola Brantley Memorial Library (721 Watson Blvd, Warner Robins). The system provides free access to physical and digital library materials, educational resources, community programs, notary services, voter registration assistance, meeting rooms, and accessibility services for patrons who are blind or print-disabled. It serves a broad constituency including general public/county residents, K-12 students, job seekers, genealogists, and people with disabilities.

The system's technology infrastructure is built on Georgia's statewide library platforms rather than proprietary systems. It is a member of PINES (Georgia's Public Library Network, location code 152), which provides a shared statewide catalog enabling interlibrary loan across the state. It integrates with GALILEO (Georgia's virtual library) for access to hundreds of research databases including EBSCO, LearningExpress (test prep), Mango Languages (70+ courses), ProQuest Newspapers, and the Digital Library of Georgia's historical newspaper archive (over 1.5 million pages). Digital lending operates through the Libby/OverDrive app, and reading challenges run on Beanstack.

The business model is non-commercial: services are free at point of use, funded through Houston County government appropriations, state library funding, and donations. The only direct fee identified is a nominal fax service charge ($0.99 first page, $0.49 additional pages) via FaxScan24. Go-to-market is community-led rather than commercial — engagement is driven by the library website (houpl.org), a Facebook presence, seasonal programs (e.g., the VRP summer reading program), and local partnerships with schools, government agencies, and community organizations. No equity funding, M&A activity, or commercial revenue is disclosed or applicable.

Name

Houston County Public Library System

Legal name

Houston County Public Library

Website

https://houpl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Community library programs
• Digital reading resources
• Research database access
• Accessible library materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Perry

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Library Services: Tax-funded public library system providing free services to Houston County residents. Operated as a government entity with funding from local taxes and potentially state/federal library grants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Houston County Public Library System is a public library system that provides free access to physical and digital books, research databases, educational programs, and community services to Houston County, Georgia residents. It operates three branch locations (Perry Branch, Centerville Branch, and Nola Brantley Memorial Library in Warner Robins) and integrates with statewide platforms including the PINES catalog, GALILEO research databases, the Libby digital reading app, and the Beanstack reading challenge platform. The library also delivers specialized services for blind and print-disabled patrons, notary services, voter registration, meeting rooms, and seasonal reading programs.

Product overview

Houston County Public Library System operates as a multi-branch public library network offering both physical and digital resources. The system provides core library services through its PINES Catalog (statewide Georgia catalog), three physical branch locations (Perry Branch, Centerville Branch, and Nola Brantley Memorial Library in Warner Robins), and digital access via the Libby app for ebooks and audiobooks. The library integrates with GALILEO for access to hundreds of research databases including EBSCO databases, LearningExpress Library (test prep and career resources), Mango Languages (70+ language courses), and ProQuest Newspapers. Specialized services include Georgia Library Service for the blind and print disabled, the annual VRP summer reading program for children and teens, meeting room rentals, notary services, interlibrary loan, and community resources including job links and student tools. The system is part of the statewide PINES network and Georgia Libraries consortium.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Libby: The one tap reading app from local library for borrowing eBooks and audiobooks
• PINES Catalog
• Beanstack
• VRP

Products and services

• Houston County Public Library Website Official website providing access to library services, resources, catalogs, programs, events, and branch information for the Houston County Public Library System.
• PINES Catalog Statewide Georgia library catalog system that enables patrons to search and access books and materials across Houston County and throughout the state.
• Libby Digital Reading App Digital reading application providing one-tap access to eBooks, audiobooks, and digital magazines from the local library collection.
• Beanstack Reading Challenges Online platform for tracking and participating in reading challenges for both children and adults.
• GALILEO Virtual Library Georgia's virtual library providing patrons free access to hundreds of databases and information resources including academic journals, newspapers, and research tools.
• LearningExpress Library Interactive skill-building platform offering courses in math, reading, and writing along with practice tests for standardized exams including ACT, SAT, GED, and ASVAB.
• Mango Languages Free language learning platform offering 60 foreign language courses and 17 English courses taught in the user's native language, accessible via web and mobile apps.
• LegalForms Library Legal document database providing access to various legal forms, primarily for Georgia, available through GALILEO.
• ProQuest Newspapers Access to major newspapers including Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, New York Times, and Atlanta Journal Constitution through GALILEO.
• Vacation Reading Program (VRP) Annual summer reading program for children and teens (age 0-17) featuring reading challenges, events, and activities.
• Georgia Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled Specialized service providing accessible reading materials including over 100,000 audiobooks, 950,000+ Bookshare titles, braille books, large print materials, and audio-described movies for eligible patrons with visual or physical disabilities.
• Perry Branch One of three library branches located at 1201 Washington Street, Perry GA 31069, phone 478.987.3050, providing in-person services including book borrowing, computer access, programs, meeting rooms, and community resources.
• Centerville Branch One of three library branches located at 206 Gunn Road, Centerville, GA 31028, phone 478.953.4500, providing in-person services including book borrowing, computer access, programs, meeting rooms, and community resources.
• Nola Brantley Memorial Library Main library branch located at 721 Watson Blvd, Warner Robins, GA 31093, phone 478.923.0128, providing in-person services including book borrowing, computer access, programs, meeting rooms, and community resources.
• Meeting Room Rental Meeting room facilities available for public use at library branches.
• Event Passes Passes for access to local attractions and events for library patrons.
• Fax Services Fax transmission service powered by FaxScan24, allowing patrons to send faxes from mobile devices or computers with pricing of $0.99 for the first page and $0.49 per additional page.

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration17 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PINES (Georgia's Public Library Network)coreTechnology or IntegrationPINES is Georgia's statewide public library catalog system. Houston County Public Library participates in this shared system, allowing patrons to borrow from and request materials across the entire state network. The library is identified as part of PINES system (location code 152).
• GALILEO (Georgia Library Learning Online)coreTechnology or IntegrationGALILEO is Georgia's virtual library providing access to hundreds of databases and information resources. Patrons access GALILEO using their PINES library card and password. The platform includes research databases, eBooks, newspapers, legal forms, language learning, and educational resources.
• Libby App (OverDrive)coreTechnology or IntegrationLibby is the one-tap reading app that provides digital access to eBooks and audiobooks from the library's collection through the OverDrive platform.
• Georgia Library Service (GLS) for the Blind & Print DisabledcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGLS provides vital reading materials in accessible formats (braille, audiobooks, large print) for patrons who are blind, have low vision, or have physical disabilities preventing them from using regular print. Services include over 100,000 audiobooks, Bookshare access, digital talking book machines, and Braille On Demand program.
• FaxScan24minorOthersFax services allowing patrons to send faxes from mobile devices or computers. Cost is $0.99 for first page and $0.49 for additional pages.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• DeKalb County Public Library: Georgia county public library system on PINES serving residents with similar free-access and multi-branch model. Operates as direct municipal peer within the same statewide consortium.
• Fulton County Library System: Georgia county library system operating branches and providing databases (GALILEO), digital lending, and community programming comparable to Houston County Public Library's offerings.
• Cobb County Public Library System: County-run public library system in Georgia operating multiple branches and participating in the same PINES network. Highly comparable in funding model, service scope, and statewide infrastructure participation.
• Gwinnett County Public Library: Large Georgia public library system on the PINES network operating numerous branches serving a suburban metro county. Comparable multi-branch service delivery model and statewide catalog participation.
• Muscogee County Libraries: Public library system in Columbus, Georgia operating multiple branches within the PINES network. Comparable in scale, county-government funding model, and service portfolio.
• Chatham County Public Library: County library system in Savannah, Georgia, part of the PINES network with multiple branches and similar community programming services.
• Cherokee County Public Library: Growing suburban Georgia public library on PINES, comparable in service breadth, digital offerings, and community programming to Houston County.
• Bibb County Public Library: Public library serving Macon-Bibb County in central Georgia, in close geographic proximity to Houston County, operating on the PINES network with comparable service mix.

Broad incumbents

• Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System: Larger urban library system in Georgia operating on PINES with a significantly larger footprint and budget. Comparable in function, but operates at greater scale than the Houston County system.

Regional players

• Middle Georgia Regional Library: Regional library system serving multiple counties in Middle Georgia adjacent to Houston County. Comparable as a PINES participant and as a government-funded multi-county library operation in the same geographic region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http://houpl.org
• Xx.com/Houpl

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 Houston County Public Library System