Mead Public Library

What Mead Public Library does

Mead Public Library is a municipal public library located at 710 N. 8th Street in downtown Sheboygan, Wisconsin, operated by the City of Sheboygan as a tax-funded public service. The institution serves Sheboygan County residents with free physical lending, digital content access, educational and recreational programming, makerspace facilities, meeting rooms, and community outreach. It operates Monday through Thursday 9am-8pm, Friday and Saturday 9am-5pm, and is closed Sunday, providing roughly 56 hours of weekly public access at the main branch.

The library's technology stack pairs a Monarch-based integrated library system with a portfolio of third-party digital content platforms — Overdrive/Libby for e-books and audiobooks, Hoopla for streaming media, Kanopy for video, and Tumblebooks for children's content — accessed by cardholders through the Monarch2Go mobile app and the Beanstack reading-challenge platform. Onsite physical infrastructure includes the Imaginarium makerspace with 3D printing and fabrication tools, the Mead Community Radio studio, multiple reservable meeting rooms, and signature collections such as the Experience Collection (museum passes and take-home tools), Seed Library, Memory Caregiver Kits, and the Warschau Holocaust Collection. Distribution is multi-modal: physical walk-in, digital self-serve, curbside pickup, and home delivery for accessibility-needs residents.

The business model is government-funded rather than revenue-generating. Operations are sustained primarily by municipal tax-revenue allocations from the City of Sheboygan, supplemented by nominal fines and fees (late materials, printing, notary) and donations and grants from the Friends of the Library, the Library Foundation, and outside grantmakers. All core services — physical lending, digital content, programming, makerspace access, and meeting room reservations — are provided free of charge to library cardholders; there is no commercial sales motion, and go-to-market is community-outreach rather than transactional. Customer segmentation is horizontal across five named personas (Children/Families, Teens/Tweens, Adults/Seniors, Researchers/Genealogists, and Digital Inclusion users), and strategic positioning is achieved through deep cross-sector partnerships rather than pricing or product differentiation.

Name

Mead Public Library

Legal name

Mead Public Library

Website

https://meadpl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1897

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mead Public Library is a municipal public library in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, operated by the City of Sheboygan. It provides free physical lending, digital content, makerspace access, and community programming to Sheboygan County residents, funded primarily by municipal tax revenue and supplemented by donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (519210), Libraries and Archives (51921), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (519), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF), Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC), Digital Library & Electronic Resources Operations (e-Resources, Repositories, Licensing) (EDAEAGAF), Library User Services & Information Support (Reference, Research Help, Instruction Support) (EDAEAGAL), Library-Based Learning Programs (Public Libraries) (EDAAAFAA), Library Collections & Cataloging Services (Acquisitions, Metadata, Circulation) (EDAEAGAE)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Digital library resources
• Community programming
• Makerspace services
• Research databases

Headquarters

HQ city

Sheboygan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Funding (Tax Revenue): Primary funding source from municipal/city government budget allocations funded by local tax revenue. Library is operated by the City of Sheboygan.
2. Fines and Fees: Late fees for overdue materials, fees for printing, copying, and other ancillary services.
3. Donations and Grants: Donations from Friends of the Library, Library Foundation, and grant funding from various organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Mead Public Library provides free public library services to Sheboygan, Wisconsin residents, including borrowing of physical and digital collections (books, e-books, audiobooks, streaming media), research databases, educational and recreational programming for all ages, the Imaginarium makerspace with 3D printing, meeting room reservations, and community broadcasting through Mead Community Radio. Unique collections include the Experience Collection (museum passes, take-home tools), Seed Library, and Memory Caregiver Kits.

Product overview

Mead Public Library offers a comprehensive range of library services as a single unified offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The library provides traditional physical materials (books, media), digital content services (Overdrive/Libby, Hoopla, Kanopy, Tumblebooks), community programming spaces (Imaginarium Makerspace, meeting rooms), and unique collections (Experience Collection with passes and tools, Seed Library). Digital access is facilitated through the Monarch2Go mobile app and Beanstack reading program platform. The library also operates Mead Community Radio for community broadcasting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mead Community Radio A library-operated community radio station providing recording equipment and sound baffling for community broadcasting and programming access.
• Imaginarium Makerspace A makerspace facility offering equipment, guided maker time, and hands-on creation opportunities including 3D printing for adults, teens, and children.
• Monarch2Go App A mobile app for accessing the library's digital catalog and managing library accounts on the go.
• Beanstack Reading Program Platform Online reading program platform for tracking reading challenges, logging reading activity, and program participation.
• Overdrive/Libby E-books and Audiobooks E-books and audiobooks lending platform available through the library for digital borrowing.
• Hoopla Streaming Service Streaming service for movies, TV shows, music, and e-books accessible through the library.
• Kanopy Video Streaming Video streaming service offering indie films, documentaries, and educational content to library card holders.
• Tumblebooks Animated, talking picture books for children available through the library.
• Experience Collection Library collection of experience passes to local attractions, take-home tools and technology, kits for kids, movie geek boxes, and the seed library available for checkout.
• Your Next Five Books Staff-curated personalized book recommendation service providing five book suggestions for readers.
• Seed Library Collection of seeds available for borrowing and growing by community members.
• Kids Book Bundles Curated book bundles available for checkout for children, selected by library staff.
• Memory Caregiver Kits Specialized kits designed for caregivers and individuals with dementia or memory loss, supporting engagement and reminiscence activities.
• Curbside Pickup Service Contactless pickup service allowing patrons to collect reserved library materials without entering the building.
• Home Delivery Service Delivery of library materials to homebound individuals and those with accessibility needs.
• Meeting Room Reservations Reservable meeting spaces including The Loft, Conference Room 1, Conference Room 2, and Rocca Meeting Room for community use.
• Printing, Notary and Copying Services Print, copy, and notary services available to library patrons, generally with nominal fees.
• Research and Online Learning Databases Subscription research databases including Consumer Reports, Morningstar, Value Line, New York Times, Sheboygan Press, Newspaper Archive, genealogy resources, language learning (Mango Languages), and student resources.
• Summer Reading Program Annual seasonal reading program for all ages that encourages reading through challenges, events, and tracking via Beanstack.

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and flagship.

• Progressive BeginningscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosts BYOB (Bring Your Own Baby) program with therapists providing early childhood development topics for parents and caregivers.
• Family Resource Center / Family ConnectionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners in early childhood programming including BYOB sessions and family support services.
• Sheboygan County Historical MuseumsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for Tween STEAM Camp educational programming and lantern-making activities.
• Nourish FarmssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner contributing to Tween STEAM Camp educational content.
• Lakeshore CollegesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner for Tween STEAM Camp programs.
• Lakeland UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner for Tween STEAM Camp programs.
• Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) of Sheboygan CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on Sheboygan County Memory Cafe programs for individuals with dementia and their caregivers.
• Alzheimer's Association Wisconsin ChaptercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Memory Cafe programming for dementia support and education.
• Seven Ages TheatricalssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtistic Director Tom Berger leads the Shakespeare Club, providing literary education and community engagement.
• Take Note (Kindermusik)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides Kindermusik music and movement classes for young children at the library.
• Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) of Sheboygan CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosts Sheboygan County Memory Cafe for dementia support and community connection.
• Alzheimer's Association Wisconsin ChaptercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners in Memory Cafe programming for dementia caregivers and those affected by Alzheimer's.
• Griefkeepers' Crafting SocietysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity group providing grief support through crafting activities, meeting at the library.
• Amanda Strojinc (STEMist-in-Residence)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerResidency program featuring a registered nurse and homesteading educator teaching applied science through homesteading, food preservation, beekeeping, gardening, and community landscape projects.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Oshkosh Public Library: Wisconsin municipal library serving a similar mid-sized city. Comparable governance model (city-funded), collection scope, and programming intensity; useful benchmark for digital service adoption.
• Manitowoc Public Library: Nearby Wisconsin municipal library of similar scale serving the Manitowoc community. Comparable programming breadth, makerspace-style offerings, and reliance on municipal funding.
• Appleton Public Library: Wisconsin municipal library in a comparable Fox Valley city. Operates similar physical/digital collections, children's programming, and community partnerships; relevant benchmark for utilization and budget scale.
• Sheboygan Falls Memorial Library: Adjacent municipal public library in Sheboygan Falls serving a similar small-Wisconsin-community user base with comparable collections, programming, and digital services. Directly comparable scale and operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Madison Public Library: Wisconsin state-capital library system offering similar digital content, makerspace programming, and community partnerships but at a substantially larger scale and budget. Useful incumbent reference point for programming best practices.
• Indianapolis Public Library: Mid-sized US city library system known for extensive community programming, makerspace facilities, and digital services. Comparable service breadth despite larger urban scale; useful reference for programming depth.
• Milwaukee Public Library: Larger Wisconsin library system with multiple branches and significantly broader budget. Overlaps in digital content offerings (Overdrive/Libby, Hoopla, Kanopy), children's programming, and community engagement but at a fundamentally different scale.
• Charlotte Mecklenburg Library: Large urban-suburban library system offering comprehensive digital services, makerspace programming (IMagine You), and community partnerships. Comparable service breadth across digital and physical channels at larger scale.

Regional players

• Brown County Library: Northeast Wisconsin regional library system serving Green Bay and surrounding communities. Operates comparable digital services, makerspace programming, and community partnerships; relevant regional comparator for Mead's footprint.

Emerging players

• Provo City Library: Mid-sized city library known for unusually strong digital services and creative programming at a comparable budget scale to Mead. Often cited as a benchmark for what a well-run mid-size public library can achieve.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/meadpl
• Xx.com/meadlibrary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mead-public-library

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Mead Public Library