Acton Public Library

What Acton Public Library does

Acton Public Library (APL) is a municipal public library established in 1854 and currently operating as a department of the Town of Old Saybrook, Connecticut, headquartered at 60 Old Boston Post Road with 11 employees. It serves Old Saybrook residents across horizontal segments — children (0–11), teens (12–17), adults, and homebound patrons — with free access to physical and digital collections, programming, and community services. Core product lines include traditional book and media lending, digital collections integrated through Libby (OverDrive), Hoopla, and Palace Project, a Library of Things program lending equipment ranging from laptops and hotspots to telescopes and ukuleles, the Luxer-based Locker Pickup contactless service, monthly Homebound Delivery by staff member Kara, Museum Passes to regional museums, 3D printing via an Ultimaker S3, and the Libraries Online mobile app for catalog and account management.

The library's technology stack is built on third-party integrations rather than proprietary systems: a shared LION (Libraries Online) Consortium catalog providing access to 830,000+ titles and 2.5 million items across 30+ member libraries, the Sparkler early-childhood development mobile app, Princh remote printing, Luxer locker hardware, and curated online resources (Ancestry Library Edition, Consumer Reports, Transparent Language, Universal Class, JobNow/Brainfuse). No public API or proprietary AI/ML capability is documented.

The business model is non-commercial. Funding flows primarily from the Town of Old Saybrook municipal budget (taxpayer appropriations overseen by a Board of Trustees), supplemented by donations and capital fundraising through the Friends of Acton Library and Acton Public Library Foundation nonprofits, plus negligible user fees such as the $1 lost-card replacement charge. Overdue fines were eliminated in October 2021. The library is currently executing a $5.08 million renovation project funded by a November 2023 $2 million Connecticut State Construction Grant requiring $2 million in non-municipal matching funds still being raised.

Name

Acton Public Library

Legal name

Acton Public Library

Website

https://actonlibrary.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1854

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Acton Public Library is a municipal public library established in 1854, operating as a department of the Town of Old Saybrook, Connecticut. It serves local residents with free physical and digital lending, programming, and community services through a single location and consortium partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (519210), Libraries and Archives (51921)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Library Collections & Cataloging Services (Acquisitions, Metadata, Circulation) (EDAEAGAE), Library-Based Learning Programs (Public Libraries) (EDAAAFAA)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Community lending programs
• Digital library collections
• Museum pass program
• Children literacy programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Old Saybrook

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

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. Municipal Funding: Primary funding from Town of Old Saybrook taxpayer support as a department of the town government. Library Board of Trustees oversees operations and budgeting.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Capital campaign for renovation project, general donations, and memorial gifts. Friends of Acton Library raises funds for programs and museum passes.
3. Library Fees: Minimal fees including $1.00 for lost library card replacement, nominal printing/copying charges. No overdue fines since October 2021.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Acton Public Library is a municipal public library that provides free lending of physical and digital collections (books, media, ebooks, audiobooks, magazines), community programming for all ages, equipment lending through the Library of Things, Museum Passes, Homebound Delivery, contactless Locker Pickup, 3D printing, and meeting room rentals to Old Saybrook, CT residents. It operates as a department of the Town of Old Saybrook and participates in the LION Consortium of 30+ libraries giving patrons access to 830,000+ titles and 2.5 million items.

Product overview

Acton Public Library is a single-location public library serving Old Saybrook, Connecticut, offering traditional and digital library services. The core offering includes physical book and media lending, digital collections accessible via Libby/Hoopla/Palace Project platforms, and community programs. Notable distinctive services include the Library of Things (lending electronics, lawn games, and equipment), Locker Pickup (contactless service via Luxer lockers), Homebound Delivery, Museum Pass program, 3D printing (Ultimaker S3), and the Libraries Online mobile app. The Sparkler early childhood development app provides milestone tracking for parents. The library is undergoing a $5.08M renovation project with CT State Construction Grant funding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Library of Things A lending program that allows library cardholders to borrow non-traditional items including electronics (laptops, hotspots, metal detectors, ring lights), lawn games (cornhole, ladder toss, pickleball sets), and miscellaneous items (telescopes, ukuleles, memory kits).
• Digital Collections (Libby, Hoopla, Palace Project) Ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, movies, and music available for digital borrowing through integrated third-party platforms accessible with a library card.
• Museum Passes Discounted or free admission passes to regional museums including Connecticut River Museum, Florence Griswold Museum, Mystic Seaport, and Lyman Allyn Art Museum for library cardholders.
• Homebound Delivery Monthly library material delivery service for Old Saybrook residents unable to visit the library due to medical or physical conditions, delivered by staff member Kara.
• Locker Pickup Contactless library material pickup service using Luxer smart lockers; patrons receive QR codes or 6-digit codes via email or SMS to retrieve holds in a 7-day hold period.
• Study Room and Conference Room Reservations Meeting room and study room rentals for community groups including the Grady Thomas Program Room (capacity 75), Friends Conference Room (capacity 12), and Study Room (capacity 4).
• 3D Printing Service Public access 3D printing service using an Ultimaker S3 dual extrusion printer; free for users who submit .stl files on USB pre-sliced in Cura software.
• Remote Printing (Princh) Remote printing service allowing patrons to print to library printers from personal devices using Princh and printer ID 107561.
• Hotspot and Laptop Lending WiFi hotspot and laptop lending program for Connecticut library cardholders ages 18+ on a one-week lending period, with $180 replacement cost for hotspots and $350 for laptops.
• 1000 Books Before Kindergarten Early literacy program encouraging parents to read 1000 books to children before kindergarten, with reading logs and prizes for participants.
• Summer Reading Program Annual summer reading program with reading gameboards, prizes, and age-based activities; Summer Reading 2026 theme is 'Plant a Seed, Read' with a chance to win a Kobo Elipsa 2E eReader.
• Libraries Online Mobile App Mobile application for catalog search, account management, event viewing, remote printing access, and digital library card, available for Android and Apple iOS.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration22 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Denison Pequotsepos Nature CenterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partner for Summer Reading 2026 'Plant a Seed, Read' program. Presented 'Every Seed Tells A Story' program on August 1, 2026.
• Old Saybrook Public Health Nursing BoardminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Sponsors Lunch Bunch summer food program providing free lunches for children ages 2-18 at the library. Meals donated by local restaurants.
• Connecticut State LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Awarded $2 million State Construction Grant in November 2023 for renovation project. Provides deliverIT interlibrary delivery service for LION Consortium.
• LION Consortium (Libraries Online)coreTechnology or IntegrationLibrary consortium of 30+ public libraries sharing catalog with over 830,000 titles and 2.5 million items. Patrons can request items from any member library via shared catalog and State Library's deliverIT program.
• Friends of Acton LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization providing fundraising support for library programs, museum passes, and special projects. Operates used book sales and accepts donations. Tax ID: 06-1036280.
• Acton Public Library FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation supporting capital campaign for renovation project. Still fundraising for construction contingencies and future building endowment. Tax ID: 06-6002058.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Ledyard Public Library: LION Consortium member in Ledyard, CT, providing directly comparable small-town Connecticut public library services and shared catalog access through the same consortium platform.
• Waterford Public Library: LION Consortium member library in Waterford, CT; offers comparable municipal public library services, digital lending, and community programming for a Connecticut shoreline-adjacent community.
• Stonington Free Library: LION Consortium member library in Stonington, CT; operates a similar free public-library model with comparable community programming and interlibrary loan participation.
• Essex Library Association: Essex, Connecticut public library and fellow LION Consortium member serving a similarly sized shoreline community with comparable physical collection, digital lending, and community programming offerings.
• Groton Public Library: Larger LION Consortium member library in Groton, CT; comparable operating model with broader programming, museum pass, and digital lending offerings relevant to Acton's service profile.
• Lyme Public Library: Small LION Consortium member library in Lyme, CT, with a similarly compact staff and a comparable single-town public library mandate including interlibrary loan access through the consortium.
• East Lyme Public Library: Nearby LION Consortium public library serving East Lyme, CT — directly comparable in town-scale service area, staffing size, and library of things / community programming approach.

Others

• OverDrive (Libby): Vendor of the Libby e-book/audiobook platform that Acton integrates with; not a peer competitor but an enabling infrastructure provider whose pricing and content licensing directly shape Acton's digital lending economics.
• Bibliotheca: Library-technology vendor supplying self-service kiosks, RFID, and locker solutions to public libraries; directly relevant because libraries including Acton rely on Bibliotheca-family hardware/software (e.g., Luxer pickup) for the contactless physical-lending experiences.

Broad incumbents

• Connecticut State Library: Connecticut's statewide library agency and the source of the $2M Construction Grant; operates the deliverIT service used by Acton and provides research resources (researchIT CT) — broader incumbent that funds and supports Acton's operating model rather than directly competing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/acton-public-library

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Acton Public Library