Arapahoe Libraries
Arapahoe Libraries is a Colorado government library district, founded in 1966, operating 9 branches plus mobile services across Arapahoe County to deliver free books, digital content, makerspace technology, and community programming funded by local property taxes.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1966
- HeadquartersEnglewood, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Arapahoe Libraries does
Arapahoe Libraries, formally the Arapahoe Library District, is a Colorado government entity established in 1966 that operates a public library system serving Arapahoe County, Colorado. The district runs nine branch locations (Castlewood, Davies, Eloise May, Kelver, Koelbel, Sheridan, Smoky Hill, Southglenn, plus Centennial and Aurora coverage areas) along with a mobile library service, home delivery, and contactless holds lockers. In 2026 the system marked its 60th anniversary. The organization is governed by an appointed Board of Trustees and funded primarily through local property tax revenue; core services are free to all Arapahoe County residents with a library card, with an ancillary membership program operated by the Friends of Arapahoe Libraries ($30 individual / $15 senior or student annually).
The service platform is anchored by BiblioCommons for catalog and patron management, supplemented by third-party digital content services (OverDrive/Libby for ebooks and audiobooks, hoopla for streaming media, Kanopy for film). Physical technology offerings include digital media stations for analog-to-digital conversion, makerspaces with 3D printing and tufting equipment, audio/video recording rooms, and the ArapApp mobile application, alongside a "Library of Things" lending program that distributes STEAM kits, coding robots, Chromebooks, and other non-book items. Community programming spans early literacy (including the Dolly Parton's Imagination Library partnership), teen and adult services, immigrant and language services delivered in English, Spanish, and Russian, business and career help, and Exploration Pass partnerships with Colorado cultural attractions such as Wings Over the Rockies and Butterfly Pavilion.
From a commercial standpoint, Arapahoe Libraries is not an investable enterprise. It has no private equity, venture, or strategic shareholders, no fundraising activity, no M&A history, and no disclosed revenue figure beyond its tax-funded operating budget. The headcount sits in the 101-250 range, scale is regional (a single US county), and the customer base is effectively the entire resident population of Arapahoe County. Marketing and outreach operate through content marketing, email, social media, events, and community/school partnerships rather than a conventional sales motion.
Arapahoe Libraries firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Arapahoe Libraries
- Legal name
- Arapahoe Library District
- Website
- https://arapahoelibraries.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1966
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Arapahoe Libraries is a Colorado government library district, founded in 1966, operating 9 branches plus mobile services across Arapahoe County to deliver free books, digital content, makerspace technology, and community programming funded by local property taxes.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Arapahoe Libraries industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Library Services
- NAICS
- Libraries and Archives (51921), Libraries and Archives (519210)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC), Digital Library & Electronic Resources Operations (e-Resources, Repositories, Licensing) (EDAEAGAF), Library-Based Learning Programs (Public Libraries) (EDAAAFAA)
Keywords
Where Arapahoe Libraries is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Englewood
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices11 records
Markets served
Arapahoe Libraries business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Public Tax Funding: As a library district, Arapahoe Libraries is primarily funded through public tax revenue from Arapahoe County residents
- Friends Membership Fees: The Friends of Arapahoe Libraries offers annual memberships for $30/year (individuals) or $15/year (students and seniors), providing perks and supporting library programs
- Donations and Memorial Gifts: Tax-deductible donations, honor/memorial gifts, and support through the Friends organization
- Library Materials and Services: Free services to all residents including books, digital content, technology access, programs, and community resources. Minimal fees for specific services like replacement cards, printing, and meeting room rentals
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Individual Annual Membership - $30/year |
| Subscription | Annual | Student/Senior Membership - $15/year |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Arapahoe Libraries product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Arapahoe Libraries is a public library district that provides free access to physical and digital collections, technology services, makerspace equipment, educational programming, and community resources to residents of Arapahoe County, Colorado. The organization operates nine branch locations, a mobile library, home delivery, and a virtual library portal, supplemented by partnerships with national digital content platforms such as OverDrive/Libby, hoopla, and Kanopy.
Product overview
Arapahoe Libraries is a public library district providing traditional and digital library services to Arapahoe County, Colorado. The organization offers a unified platform of physical and digital services centered on its BiblioCommons-powered catalog system. Physical offerings include book lending, movies, music, video games, and a Library of Things with non-traditional items. Digital services include eBook/audiobook lending via OverDrive/Libby and hoopla, streaming video through Kanopy, and a Virtual Library portal. Technology services encompass Digital Media Stations for media conversion, Makerspace with 3D printing, Audio & Video Recording Rooms, and the ArapApp mobile application. Outreach services include Home Delivery, Mobile Library, and Exploration Passes for cultural attractions. All services are provided through physical branch locations and online platforms without a public API for developers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Makerspace Creative workshop spaces equipped with tools and technology including 3D printing, scanning, tufting stations, and audio/video recording rooms, available to library patrons for hands-on making and learning.
- Digital Media Stations Public computer workstations equipped with VCRs, record players, film projectors, cassette decks, and photo scanners, allowing patrons to convert analog media into digital formats.
- Audio & Video Recording Rooms Studio spaces equipped for audio and video content creation, including podcasting equipment such as the RodeCaster Pro II with iPhone call-in capability, available to library patrons.
- ArapApp Mobile Application Mobile application providing library patrons with access to library services, account management, and navigation of library resources on smartphones and tablets.
- Library of Things Collection of loanable non-traditional items available for checkout by library patrons, including board games, camera kits, coding robots such as Sphero Bolt, STEAM kits for Space and Geology, and Chromebooks.
- Virtual Library Online portal providing library patrons with access to digital resources, virtual events, and online programming from any internet-connected location.
- Home Delivery & Mobile Library Services Outreach services that deliver library materials directly to the homes of homebound patrons and bring mobile library collections to underserved communities throughout Arapahoe County.
- Exploration Pass Free digital passes available for checkout with a library card, providing admission to Colorado cultural attractions including Wings Over the Rockies, Butterfly Pavilion, Dinosaur Ridge, Forney Transportation Museum, and Colorado Railroad Museum.
- Meeting & Study Rooms Reservable spaces at library branches including study rooms, meeting rooms, and creative spaces available for patron gatherings, programs, and events.
- Text Alerts SMS notification service that sends patrons text message alerts about holds ready for pickup, items due soon, overdue items, and fees on their mobile devices.
- OverDrive/Libby Digital Lending Digital lending service provided through the library granting patrons access to eBooks, magazines, and audiobooks via the Libby app on smartphones and tablets.
- hoopla Digital Lending Streaming and digital borrowing service provided through the library offering instant access to movies, music albums, audiobooks, and eBooks with a library card.
- Kanopy Streaming Video Video streaming service offered through the library providing access to over 30,000 award-winning indie and foreign films, kids movies, documentaries, classic films, and educational courses.
Companies that use Arapahoe Libraries
Customer profileSegments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Arapahoe Libraries technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Arapahoe Libraries partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.
- The Friends of Arapahoe LibrariescoreVolunteer support organization that operates book sales, accepts donations, runs membership programs, and provides funding for library programs and services. The Friends offer annual memberships ($30 individuals, $15 students/seniors) and support summer reading, early literacy, and other library initiatives.
- Dolly Parton's Imagination LibrarycoreEarly childhood literacy partnership providing free high-quality books monthly by mail to children ages 0-5 enrolled in the program. Arapahoe Libraries covers costs for local children to participate in this national program.
- The Learning SourcesupportingPartnership for English Language Acquisition (ELA) classes and English Conversation Circles (ECC). The Learning Source provides volunteer opportunities for Arapahoe Libraries volunteers interested in supporting adult English learners.
- Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space MuseumsupportingMuseum partnership offering free Exploration Passes to library patrons for both museum locations (Denver Air & Space Museum and Exploration of Flight in Centennial). Also collaborated on Behind the Wings video series and podcast with PBS.
- Colorado Museums and Attractions (Exploration Pass)supportingLibrary provides free digital Exploration Passes for patron visits to local attractions including Butterfly Pavilion, Dinosaur Ridge, Forney Transportation Museum, Colorado Railroad Museum, and others.
- Little Free LibrariesminorCommunity book exchange network that Arapahoe Libraries promotes as a resource for families to access free books in their neighborhoods.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Arapahoe Libraries competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Boulder Public Library: Colorado municipal public library providing traditional library services, makerspace, digital media, and community programming — a comparable peer in operating model though smaller scale than Arapahoe's district structure.
- Aurora Public Library: Municipal public library system serving Aurora, Colorado — a city partially within Arapahoe County — providing branch services, community programming, and ESL/immigrant services that overlap with Arapahoe's customer segments.
- Jefferson County Public Library: Adjacent county library district serving Jefferson County, Colorado with similar government library district structure, branch network, makerspace offerings, and community programming targeting suburban Front Range demographics.
- Anythink Libraries: Adams County library district operating with a similar government library district model, multiple branches, makerspace programming, and community-driven service philosophy across a comparable Colorado Front Range suburban population.
- Denver Public Library: Denver's municipal public library system serving a similarly urban Front Range Colorado population with comparable branch network, makerspace programming, and digital services — the most direct geographic peer to Arapahoe Libraries in the metro area.
- Pikes Peak Library District: Large Colorado library district serving El Paso County with multiple branches, makerspaces, Library of Things, and digital lending — comparable in scale and scope as a regional library district serving a similarly sized Colorado county.
- Douglas County Libraries: Library district serving Douglas County, Colorado with comparable suburban demographic profile, branch locations, makerspaces, digital media labs, and a similar property tax funding model — a directly comparable peer in service area structure.
Regional players
- Colorado State Library: State-level library agency that coordinates with Colorado public libraries including Arapahoe, providing interlibrary loan infrastructure, statewide resource sharing, and policy support — an institutional peer rather than direct competitor.
Others
- BiblioCommons: Catalog and patron experience platform provider that powers Arapahoe Libraries' digital infrastructure — an enabling technology vendor rather than a competing service, but a key operational dependency for the library.
- Colorado Library Consortium (CLiC): Consortium of Colorado libraries providing cooperative purchasing, training, and resource sharing including courier services across participating libraries including Arapahoe — an institutional peer in the cooperative ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Arapahoe Libraries social profiles
Digital presenceArapahoe Libraries financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Arapahoe Libraries leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Arapahoe Libraries funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Arapahoe Libraries 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 Arapahoe Libraries
What does Arapahoe Libraries do?
Arapahoe Libraries is a public library district that provides free access to physical and digital collections, technology services, makerspace equipment, educational programming, and community resources to residents of Arapahoe County, Colorado. The organization operates nine branch locations, a mobile library, home delivery, and a virtual library portal, supplemented by partnerships with national digital content platforms such as OverDrive/Libby, hoopla, and Kanopy.
Is Arapahoe Libraries a public or private company?
Arapahoe Libraries is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Arapahoe Libraries founded?
Arapahoe Libraries was founded in 1966. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Arapahoe Libraries based?
Arapahoe Libraries is headquartered in Englewood, United States, in the North America region.
How does Arapahoe Libraries make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Public Tax Funding is the primary driver. The others are friends Membership Fees, donations and Memorial Gifts and library Materials and Services.
Who are Arapahoe Libraries's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Boulder Public Library, Aurora Public Library, Jefferson County Public Library, Anythink Libraries, Denver Public Library, Pikes Peak Library District and Douglas County Libraries. Colorado State Library is listed as a regional player. Others are BiblioCommons and Colorado Library Consortium (CLiC).
Does Arapahoe Libraries have an API?
No public API is recorded for Arapahoe Libraries.
What industry is Arapahoe Libraries in?
Arapahoe Libraries's product category is Public Library Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIACAO, Public Libraries & Information Services, with a secondary code of EDAEAGAC, Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management. Its NAICS code is 51921 and its SIC code is 8200.