Agorateca
Agorateca is a municipal media library in Lugano, Switzerland, operated by the City of Lugano as a free public service. It lends over 40,000 titles including DVDs, books, CDs, and audiobooks, plus Swiss National Sound Archives access.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersLugano, Switzerland
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Agorateca does
Agorateca is a municipal media library (bibliomediateca) located in Lugano, Switzerland, founded in June 2006 by the City of Lugano under the Dicastero Giovani e Lavoro. The institution operates as a free public service providing loan and consultation access to more than 40,000 titles across physical media formats including DVDs, VHS tapes, Blu-ray discs, audiobooks, books, CDs, and magazines. It is wholly owned and funded by the municipal government through the Divisione eventi e congressi, with no fees charged to users and no commercial revenue model in place.
The library's core offering centers on a curated catalog with particular emphasis on cinema, including thematic curated paths (Percorsi tematici) that organize film and reading recommendations around specific themes such as cinema history, family viewing, and cultural topics. A notable partnership with the Fonoteca Nazionale Svizzera (Swiss National Sound Archives), inaugurated in November 2006, established Agorateca as the first external listening point of the national archives, giving patrons access to Swiss-produced music and sound recordings in the country's four national languages. Additional service features include a digital catalog (old.agorateca.ch), DVD reservation system, an outdoor reading program called Park & Read, a free newsletter, and an embedded presence of Biblioteca SCILA providing Spanish-language materials.
Agorateca distributes its services exclusively through physical library locations in Lugano, with headquarters at Via Foce 1 (Sede Foce) and a secondary site at Via Trevano 53 (Sede Molino Nuovo), which is currently closed until further notice. The organization has approximately 6 employees and serves as a cultural hub for the population of Lugano and the surrounding Ticino region. There is no proprietary technology platform; operations rely on traditional library catalog systems, a WordPress-based website, and social media channels (Facebook, Instagram) for community engagement.
Agorateca firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Agorateca
- Legal name
- Città di Lugano
- Website
- https://agorateca.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Agorateca is a municipal media library in Lugano, Switzerland, operated by the City of Lugano as a free public service. It lends over 40,000 titles including DVDs, books, CDs, and audiobooks, plus Swiss National Sound Archives access.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Agorateca industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Library / Media Lending Services
- NAICS
- Libraries and Archives (519210), Libraries and Archives (51921), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)
Keywords
Where Agorateca is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lugano
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Agorateca business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Public Library Service: Agorateca is a free public library service funded by the City of Lugano. The service is provided at no direct cost to users, funded through municipal public budget.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Agorateca product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Agorateca is a municipal media library (bibliomediateca) that lends and provides on-site consultation access to more than 40,000 titles spanning DVDs, VHS, Blu-ray, audiobooks, books, CDs, and magazines. It supplements physical lending with curated Thematic Paths, a Swiss National Sound Archives (Fonoteca Nazionale Svizzera) listening point, a digital searchable catalog, DVD reservation, and an outdoor Park & Read program. The service is provided free to the public and is operated by the City of Lugano.
Product overview
Agorateca is a media library (bibliomediateca) operated by the City of Lugano's Division of Events and Congresses, offering more than 40,000 titles for loan and consultation. The service provides a unified portfolio combining physical media lending (DVDs, VHS, Blu-ray) with books, audiobooks, and music CDs. Key products include the DVD/VHS/Blu-ray Lending service, Books Catalog, Audiobooks, CD/Music Collection, and the Fonoteca collaboration with the Swiss National Sound Archives. Additional services include Thematic Paths (curated film and reading collections), DVD Reservation, Park & Read outdoor reading, Newsletter, and a Digital Catalog. The library serves as a gateway to cinema and cultural content for the population of Lugano and surrounding areas.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- DVD/VHS/Blu-ray Lending
Companies that use Agorateca
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Agorateca technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Agorateca partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Fonoteca Nazionale Svizzera (Swiss National Sound Archives)coreCollaboration inaugurated November 15, 2006 as 'Play the Archives!' - the first external listening point of the National Sound Archives. Through a dedicated workstation, users can access the latest musical and audio productions from Switzerland in the four national languages.
- Bibliomedia Svizzera (Bibliocentro di Biasca)coreBibliomedia Svizzera is a supporting partner of Agorateca, contributing to the library's mission of providing public access to media collections. The partnership helps support the library's operations and collection development.
- Città di Lugano - Divisione Eventi e CongressicoreAgorateca is owned by the City of Lugano and managed by the Divisione eventi e congressi (Events and Congress Division). The library operates under the Dicastero Giovani ed Eventi department.
- Biblioteca SCILA (Società Culturale Ibero-Latino Americana)minorThe presence of Biblioteca SCILA within Agorateca allows users to consult books and documents in Spanish language, expanding cultural access.
- SOTELLminorCollaboration with SOTELL as indicated on the website footer, supporting library operations.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Agorateca competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bibliomedia Svizzera: Swiss public library support organization and Bibliothekarischer Verein. Comparable as a public-sector library service focused on media lending and cultural access, and an existing partner of Agorateca.
- Biblioteca cantonale di Lugano: The cantonal public library serving Lugano with physical lending and reference collections. Most directly comparable peer given shared city, overlapping user base, and similar public-library mission.
Emerging players
- Internet Archive: Nonprofit digital library and archive offering free public access to digitized media. Comparable in mission (free public access to preserved media) and partial overlap with Agorateca's catalog domains.
- OverDrive: Digital lending platform serving public libraries worldwide. Comparable as an enabler of library media lending, though focused on digital rather than physical formats.
- Kanopy: Free streaming service available through public libraries. Comparable as a library-channel film distribution service overlapping with Agorateca's cinema lending domain.
- Hoopla: Digital library platform providing patron access to ebooks, audiobooks, music, and video. Comparable as a library-channel media lending service that competes with the demand for physical formats.
Regional players
- Biblioteca comunale di Mendrisio: Municipal public library serving another Ticino city. Comparable in mission, scale, and Italian-language cultural focus, though operating in a different municipality within the same canton.
- Bibliothèque municipale de Lausanne: Municipal public library system in Lausanne offering physical lending, digital access, and cultural programming. Comparable as a French-speaking Swiss municipal library with a broader operating model.
Broad incumbents
- Swiss National Library: National-level Swiss library institution offering broader collection stewardship and public access. Comparable as a publicly-funded information-services organization, though operating at a much larger national mandate.
Others
- Bibliotheca: Library technology vendor providing RFID, self-service, and library management solutions. Comparable as an enabling supplier to public libraries rather than a direct lending competitor.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Agorateca social profiles
Digital presenceAgorateca financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Agorateca leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Agorateca funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Agorateca 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 Agorateca
What does Agorateca do?
Agorateca is a municipal media library (bibliomediateca) that lends and provides on-site consultation access to more than 40,000 titles spanning DVDs, VHS, Blu-ray, audiobooks, books, CDs, and magazines. It supplements physical lending with curated Thematic Paths, a Swiss National Sound Archives (Fonoteca Nazionale Svizzera) listening point, a digital searchable catalog, DVD reservation, and an outdoor Park & Read program. The service is provided free to the public and is operated by the City of Lugano.
Is Agorateca a public or private company?
Agorateca is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Agorateca founded?
Agorateca was founded in 2006. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Agorateca based?
Agorateca is headquartered in Lugano, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Agorateca make money?
One revenue line is on record: public Library Service.
Who are Agorateca's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bibliomedia Svizzera and Biblioteca cantonale di Lugano. Emerging players are Internet Archive, OverDrive, Kanopy and Hoopla. Regional players are Biblioteca comunale di Mendrisio and Bibliothèque municipale de Lausanne. Swiss National Library is listed as a broad incumbent. Bibliotheca is listed as an others.
Does Agorateca have an API?
No public API is recorded for Agorateca.
What industry is Agorateca in?
Agorateca's product category is Public Library / Media Lending Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIACAO, Public Libraries & Information Services. Its NAICS code is 519210.