St. Charles City-County Library

What St. Charles City-County Library does

St. Charles City-County Library is a public library district established in 1973 that serves the residents of St. Charles County, Missouri, through 11 physical branches, a bookmobile, and digital platforms. Its core offering combines traditional lending (books, audiovisual materials, Library of Things including kits, games, and Chromebooks) with an eLibrary spanning eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines, and streaming video via Libby/OverDrive, Hoopla, Kanopy, and Flipster. The technology stack is anchored by the Polaris integrated library system for catalog and account management, the Springshare suite (LibGuides, LibAnswers, LibCal, LibInsight) for customer service and reservations, EBSCO Stacks for discovery and research databases, and Princh for cloud-based remote printing. Interlibrary loan is delivered through the MOBIUS consortium (up to 25 simultaneous requests) with WorldCat as backup (up to 30 requests).

The business model is fundamentally tax-funded: the library district receives the bulk of its operating budget from local government tax appropriations, and core services are free to residents who obtain a library card (including a 90-day temporary digital card available online). Ancillary revenue streams include fee-based printing ($0.10 per black-and-white page, $0.25 per color page via Princh), passport and notary services, and facility rentals through room reservations. Customer segments are broad and person-based rather than commercial: general public/community members (primary), children and families, teens and young adults, adults and seniors, and homebound patrons served through Library to You outreach. Distribution spans 11 branches plus bookmobile, school and community partnerships, and homebound delivery, supported by a multi-channel marketing presence across Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, email newsletters, and in-person events. No AI/ML capabilities are disclosed; the library operates on conventional library-automation infrastructure.

Name

St. Charles City-County Library

Legal name

St. Charles City-County Library District

Website

https://mylibrary.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

St. Charles City-County Library is a tax-funded public library district serving St. Charles County, Missouri, through 11 branches, a bookmobile, and digital lending platforms, offering free access to physical and digital collections, programming, and community services.

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 (5192)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC), Library User Services & Information Support (Reference, Research Help, Instruction Support) (EDAEAGAL), Library-Based Learning Programs (Public Libraries) (EDAAAFAA)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Digital lending platforms
• Community programming
• Interlibrary loan
• Library outreach services

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Peters

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, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Public Tax Funding: The library is a tax-funded public institution receiving operational funding from local government taxes. Service updates and financial planning are conducted through community surveys about library funding.
2. Printing Services: Fee-based printing services: 10 cents per black and white page, 25 cents per color page. Revenue-generating service for document printing at branches.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

St. Charles City-County Library is a public library district that provides free access to physical and digital collections (books, eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines, streaming video, research databases), in-person community services (passport, notary, meeting rooms, public computers, printing), and community programming through 11 branch locations and a bookmobile service. It also operates interlibrary loan via the MOBIUS consortium, the Ask Us customer service platform, and outreach programs for homebound and school communities.

Product overview

St. Charles City-County Library is a public library system offering a unified service platform combining physical and digital resources. The core product portfolio centers on the eLibrary (Stream & Download) for digital content, the Ask Us customer service platform, and various community services including Library of Things lending, outreach programs, passport/notary services, and meeting room reservations. The library operates 11 branches with services spanning traditional lending (books, AV materials, interlibrary loan via MOBIUS), digital lending (Libby, Hoopla, Kanopy, Flipster), technology access (computers, printing), and community programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stream & Download (eLibrary) Digital lending platform providing St. Charles County library cardholders access to eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines, streaming video, and downloadable materials through Libby, Hoopla, Kanopy, and Flipster.
• Your Next Read

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• Friends of the LibrarycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVolunteer nonprofit organization that supports library programs through book fairs, donations acceptance, and fundraising. Accepts gently used books and materials at branches and operates the Friends' Warehouse for large donations.
• MOBIUS ConsortiumcoreTechnology or IntegrationRegional library consortium providing shared catalog system and interlibrary loan services. Allows patrons to request materials from hundreds of member libraries across Missouri and beyond.
• WorldCat (OCLC)supportingTechnology or IntegrationBackup interlibrary loan system used when MOBIUS items are unavailable. Allows up to 30 item requests when MOBIUS is not used.
• SpringsharecoreTechnology or IntegrationSoftware platform provider powering LibApps, LibGuides, LibAnswers, LibCal, and LibInsight for customer service, FAQ management, room reservations, and reading recommendations.
• EBSCO DiscoverycoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides EBSCO Stacks discovery layer for the library website and access to research databases including Consumer Reports, Flipster eMagazines, and other premium content.
• PrinchsupportingTechnology or IntegrationCloud printing solution enabling patrons to print remotely to any branch printer from personal devices for a fee.
• OverDrive/LibbycoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital lending platform for eBooks, eAudiobooks, and eMagazines. Primary digital lending platform with Libby app interface.
• Hoopla DigitalcoreTechnology or IntegrationStreaming and download service for movies, TV shows, music, audiobooks, comics, and eBooks with instant access and no waitlists.
• KanopysupportingTechnology or IntegrationStreaming service specializing in independent films, documentaries, and educational content with a ticket-based viewing system.
• Local School DistrictssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool partnership programs enabling student library card issuance through educational institutions and providing educational outreach services.
• Office Source (Shredding Services)minorOthersProvides secure document shredding and recycling services for public shredding events hosted at library branches.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• New York Public Library: Nationally recognized public library system with 90+ branches serving New York City. Operates at far greater scale but offers overlapping services including digital lending, programming, research databases, and outreach.

Others

• OverDrive (Libby): Primary digital lending platform provider used by the library for eBooks, audiobooks, and eMagazines. Vendor/them-to-us partner rather than direct competitor; comparable ecosystem participant shaping digital lending economics.
• OCLC (WorldCat): Library cooperative and technology provider behind WorldCat used by St. Charles for interlibrary loan. Adjacent enabling partner as a shared infrastructure provider for cataloging and resource sharing across public libraries.

Direct peers

• Springfield-Greene County Library District: Missouri county-level library district serving Greene County with branches, digital lending, and community programming. Directly comparable as a tax-funded city-county library district with a similar service portfolio.
• St. Louis County Library: Adjacent St. Louis metropolitan public library system in Missouri operating 20+ branches with comparable digital lending, programming, and outreach models. Most directly comparable peer given shared geography and similar county-scale service model.
• Daniel Boone Regional Library: Missouri regional library serving Boone and Callaway counties with branches, digital lending, and programming. Comparable county-scale public library with a similar mix of physical and digital services.
• Kansas City Public Library: Missouri-based municipal public library system serving Kansas City with multiple branches, digital lending via Libby/Hoopla, and community programming. Comparable in scale and operating model as a public library district.
• Cuyahoga County Public Library: Large Ohio-based county public library system with 27 branches, extensive digital lending, and outreach programming. Comparable tax-funded county library district model with robust digital services.
• Mid-Continent Public Library: One of the largest public library systems in Missouri serving a multi-county region with branches, bookmobile, digital lending, and outreach. Comparable in operating model (tax-funded district) and use of digital lending platforms.

Regional players

• Multnomah County Library: Oregon-based public library system serving the Portland metro area with multiple branches and digital lending. Comparable county-level public library structure operating in a different geography but with similar service breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/YourAnswerPlaceStch
• Facebookfacebook.com/stchlibrary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st-charles-city-county-library
• Instagraminstagram.com/stchlibrary
• TikToktiktok.com/@stchlibrary
• Xx.com/VisitMyLibrary

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 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 St. Charles City-County Library