The Muskingum County Library System

What The Muskingum County Library System does

The Muskingum County Library System (MCLS) is a publicly funded county library system headquartered in Zanesville, Ohio, serving all residents of Muskingum County through six branch locations: John McIntire Library (the main branch), Dresden, Duncan Falls/Philo, New Concord, Roseville, and South Branch. Founded in 1905 and governed by a seven-member Board of Trustees (four appointed by Muskingum County Commissioners, three by the Court of Common Pleas), MCLS provides free library cards and access to physical collections (books, DVDs, CDs, video games, Wonderbooks), digital downloads, research databases, meeting rooms including a 200-seat auditorium at John McIntire, and community programming.

Core products and services span digital lending via OverDrive/Libby and Hoopla (with checkout limits raised to 15 items), specialized platforms including Brainfuse live tutoring (2-11 PM daily), TumbleBooks, Beanstack reading challenges, Libby Kids and Teens collections, and the Schneider WWII Muskingum Veterans Archive. The library's technology footprint includes a Boopsie-built mobile app on iOS and Android, Communico-powered room reservation, a digital library card with instant online issuance, and a broad research database suite (Ancestry Library Edition, FamilySearch, HeritageQuest, Fold3, NewspaperARCHIVE, AtoZdatabases, Chilton Library, Explora, World Book Online, Northstar Digital Literacy, Ohio Means Jobs). Add-on services include hotspot lending, 3D printing, VHS-to-digital conversion, wireless printing, and one-on-one tech help.

MCLS operates as a non-commercial government entity funded primarily by Muskingum County property tax allocations and State Library of Ohio / IMLS pass-through funding, supplemented by donations through the Friends of the Library nonprofit (established 1989) and ancillary fee income from printing ($0.10/page), auditorium rental, and lost-material replacements. All core patron services are free; tiered card types (All Access, Student, Educator, Digital) provide differentiated borrowing privileges up to 200 items for educators. Leadership is an 8-member team headed by Executive Director Stacey L. Russell, CPA, CPFO, with specialized directors for Fiscal Operations, Assistant Directorship, HR, IT, and Marketing & Community Relations.

Name

The Muskingum County Library System

Legal name

Muskingum County Library System

Website

https://muskingumlibrary.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Muskingum County Library System is a publicly funded county library system in Zanesville, Ohio, operating six branch locations that provide free physical and digital lending, research databases, educational programming, and community services to all Muskingum County residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Library Collections & Cataloging Services (Acquisitions, Metadata, Circulation) (EDAEAGAE), Library User Services & Information Support (Reference, Research Help, Instruction Support) (EDAEAGAL), Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Digital lending platforms
• Community library programs
• Genealogy research archives
• Library research databases

Headquarters

HQ city

Zanesville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Library Funding: Primary funding from Muskingum County government allocations and state library funding. Tax-based public funding covers operational costs including staff, facilities, collections, and programming.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Donations through Friends of the Library nonprofit organization, memorial gifts, tribute donations, Bestow A Book, and Enliven A Library programs. Friends Bookstore operated by volunteers generates additional funds.
3. Printing and Fee Services: Minimal fees for printing (10 cents/page), lost/damaged materials replacement, meeting room rentals (200-seat auditorium at John McIntire), and other ancillary services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Muskingum County Library System provides free public library services to Muskingum County, Ohio residents across six physical branches and a 24/7 online digital library. Core offerings include physical collections (books, DVDs, CDs, video games), digital lending (ebooks, audiobooks, movies, music, comics via OverDrive/Libby and Hoopla), research databases, genealogy resources, live tutoring, community programs and events, meeting room rentals, mobile hotspot lending, and digital literacy training — all funded primarily by county government allocations and state library funding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Friends of the Library: A non-profit organization established in 1989 to support and strengthen the Muskingum County Library System through fundraising projects, book sales, and special events.

Products and services

• Digital Downloads (Libby / OverDrive)

Quantifiable outcome

• 2.5 million minutes community reading goal for Summer Reading 2026
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration27 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• OPLIN (Ohio Public Library Information Network)coreTechnology or IntegrationOPLIN provides high-speed internet access via telecommunications lines for Ohio's public libraries. MCLS accesses the internet through OPLIN which also provides access to quality information databases not freely available on the web.
• Friends of the Library (FotL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization established in 1989 supporting and strengthening MCLS. Raises money for library programs, resources, and materials through special events, book sales, projects, and Friends Bookstore. Directed by Executive Committee with MCLS Executive Director as non-voting member.
• Zanesville City SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership addressing digital literacy education for students and families. Implements Common Sense Media lessons teaching safe and responsible internet, social media, and personal technology use. Joint initiative to prepare students as 21st-century digital citizens.
• Common Sense MediamajorTechnology or IntegrationProvides digital citizenship curriculum and resources used by Zanesville City Schools and MCLS to teach students and families about safe and responsible technology use.
• Google (Be Internet Awesome)majorTechnology or IntegrationGoogle program teaching kids fundamentals of digital citizenship and safety including Interland online adventure game. MCLS promotes and utilizes these resources for digital literacy education.
• Muskingum County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society (MCCOGS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer-run genealogical society housed at John McIntyre Library for over 30 years. Operates genealogy library with extensive local history resources and has reprinted local history books.
• OverDrive/LibbycoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital content platform providing ebooks and audiobooks accessible through Libby app and web interface. Core digital lending service for MCLS patrons.
• HooplacoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital media platform providing movies, music, ebooks, audiobooks, and comics. Includes kids mode filtering content for children up to age 12.
• TumbleBooksmajorTechnology or IntegrationAnimated, talking picture books teaching kids the joy of reading. Creates electronic picture books with animation, sound, music, and narration.
• Brainfuse HelpNowcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline tutoring and homework help platform with live tutors available 2-11 PM daily for K-12 students. Includes practice tests, writing feedback, career support, and foreign language help.
• BeanstackmajorTechnology or IntegrationReading challenge platform enabling Summer Reading program tracking. Patrons log minutes read to earn raffle tickets for prizes through milestone achievements.
• Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational organization providing resources and research on online safety. MCLS utilizes FOSI resources for digital literacy education programs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Cleveland Public Library: Long-established Ohio urban public library with much larger collections and historic special holdings. Comparable in core mission and services but at substantially greater scale.
• Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County: Large Ohio public library system with extensive digital services and branch network. Operates in similar state-level policy environment with broader geographic and program scope.
• King County Library System: Large U.S. county library system with comparable multi-branch, digital-services-heavy operating model. Useful out-of-state benchmark for county library system scaling.

Direct peers

• Dayton Metro Library: Ohio public library system serving Montgomery County with multiple branches and rich digital programming. Comparable in operating model and patron service mix.
• Columbus Metropolitan Library: Large Franklin County, Ohio public library system offering comparable services at greater scale. Closely comparable governance and service mix; useful benchmark for upper-tier Ohio library system operations.
• Cuyahoga County Public Library: One of the largest Ohio county library systems, serving the Cleveland metro. Comparable in branch-network and digital services model; a useful peer for understanding scaling dynamics.
• Garfield County Libraries: Colorado county library system with comparable multi-branch rural service model. Connected via prior employment of MCLS Assistant Director Stephanie Freas; comparable in scale and program mix.
• Coshocton County District Library: Neighboring Ohio county library system of comparable scale. Similar tax-funded governance, branch operations, and digital service offerings; the Fiscal Officer's prior role connects the two organizations.
• Licking County Library System: Ohio county library system serving Licking County with multiple branches and similar digital lending, genealogy, and educational programming. Directly comparable in scale, governance model, and service mix; also shares personnel lineage with MCLS leadership.

Others

• State Library of Ohio: State-level library agency that funds and supports MCLS through OPLIN and direct grants. Not a direct peer but a key ecosystem partner and policy/funding counterpart.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/muskingumlib
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC2g8CaVHlNPEjgjeU4XcR2w
• Facebookfacebook.com/MuskingumLib
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1505536
• Instagraminstagram.com/muskingumlib
• TikToktiktok.com/@muskingumlib?

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 The Muskingum County Library System