Avon Free Library

What Avon Free Library does

Avon Free Library is a 501(c)(3) public library chartered in New York State (absolute charter granted January 24, 1921) and operating continuously since December 1914, making it the oldest free library in Livingston County. It serves residents of Avon, New York from the historic Barber Memorial Building at 143 Genesee Street, a 1928 facility listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The library maintains a lean team of approximately 10 staff including a director, a family services coordinator, a senior clerk, three clerks, and three substitute clerks, and is governed by a 13-member volunteer Board of Trustees.

The library's core offering is free access to physical and digital collections via membership in the OWWL Library System, a 42-member consortium serving Ontario, Wyoming, Yates, and Livingston counties. Through OWWL, patrons access a shared catalog (search.owwl.org), ebooks and audiobooks via Overdrive/Libby, digital magazines, Mango Languages for language learning, and local history resources. The library supplements digital services with public computers, a laptop loan program, three bookable community spaces (Five Arch Meeting Room, Genesee Study Room, and The Loft) managed through LibCal, a fine-free circulation policy adopted in July 2021, accessibility services including the RUBY 10 video magnifier and homebound delivery, and family and youth programming.

Funding is predominantly tax-based, with a $279,000 annual operating budget approved by Avon voters on November 4, 2025 by a 1,405 to 645 margin and now consolidated under the Town of Avon. The remainder of operating support comes from individual donations and memorial gifts processed via the Zeffy donation platform, plus nominal fees from printing ($0.15 per B&W page, $0.50 per color page) and faxing ($0.15 per fax) services. A separate $444,000 capital campaign named "Our Next Chapter" is underway as the community-funded portion of a $1.2 million renovation program that includes slate roof replacement (completed May 2025), a planned Learning Lawn, and a planned paved parking lot, supported by $432,000 in state funds and $104,000 in additional grants.

Name

Avon Free Library

Legal name

Avon Free Library

Website

https://avonfreelibrary.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1914

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Avon Free Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public library chartered in 1914, serving Avon, NY and Livingston County from the historic Barber Memorial Building. It provides free access to physical and digital collections via the OWWL consortium, programming, meeting rooms, and accessibility services, funded primarily by a voter-approved $279,000 town tax budget.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO), Digital Library & Electronic Resources Operations (e-Resources, Repositories, Licensing) (EDAEAGAF), Library Collections & Cataloging Services (Acquisitions, Metadata, Circulation) (EDAEAGAE), Library-Based Learning Programs (Public Libraries) (EDAAAFAA)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Community library access
• Digital library resources
• Library programs events
• Library meeting rooms

Headquarters

HQ city

Avon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tax-funded Operating Budget: 87% of annual operating budget ($279,000 total) comes from local tax support, collected through Town of Avon following November 2025 vote approval. Previously funded through school district ($170,000), town ($57,000), and village ($52,000) contributions.
2. Donations and Memorials: Individual donations are tax-deductible and support programming, collections, and building maintenance. Memorial gifts honor individuals with acknowledgment sent to families.
3. Capital Campaign: Our Next Chapter capital campaign raising $444,000 as part of $1.2 million total project cost for building renovations including slate roof, learning lawn, and parking lot improvements.
4. Printing and Copying Services: Minor revenue from printing ($0.15/page black & white, $0.50/page color) and faxing ($0.15 per fax) services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Avon Free Library is a community public library providing free access to physical and digital library materials, including books, audiobooks, ebooks, and digital magazines. It offers public computer access, laptop loans, meeting and study rooms, printing and faxing services, programming for all ages, and accessibility services. As a member of the OWWL Library System, the library enables catalog search, inter-library loan, and shared digital resources across 42 member libraries in the region.

Product overview

Avon Free Library operates as a community public library offering physical and digital resources. The core offerings include the OWWL library catalog and digital library services (Overdrive/Libby for ebooks, digital magazines, and audiobooks). Physical services include public computers, laptop loans, meeting/study rooms (Five Arch Meeting Room, Genesee Study Room, and Loft), printing/copying/faxing services, and programming for all ages. The library provides accessibility services including the RUBY 10 video magnifier, large print materials, Wonderbooks, Vox Books, and in-home services for homebound residents. The library is currently conducting a capital campaign ('Our Next Chapter') for building renovations including a Learning Lawn, slate roof replacement, and paved parking lot.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Barber Memorial Building: The name of the library building, named after Aaron Barber who left $45,000 to build the new library and $15,000 in trust for maintenance.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• OWWL Library SystemcoreOthers · 1 January 1914Avon Free Library is a member of the OWWL (Ontario, Wyoming, Yates, Livingston Counties) Library System. The system provides shared catalog, digital services (Overdrive, Libby, Mango Languages), inter-library loan, and collective resources across 42+ member libraries. The library uses OWWL's LibCal for events calendar and room reservations, and LibCal for space booking.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• OWWL Library System: The consortium of 42+ libraries in Ontario, Wyoming, Yates and Livingston Counties that Avon Free Library belongs to; OWWL provides shared catalog (search.owwl.org), digital services (Overdrive/Libby, Mango), LibCal events, and interlibrary loan, making it the closest operational peer as the parent platform Avon sits within.

Direct peers

• Lima Public Library: A Livingston County public library and OWWL member; another direct peer of similar small-town scale serving the Lima community with like-funded programs and digital services.
• Livonia Public Library: A Livingston County public library and OWWL system member; another direct peer serving a small Western New York community with similar service breadth and tax-funded nonprofit operations.
• Mount Morris Library: A neighboring public library in Mount Morris within Livingston County and a fellow OWWL member; serves a similarly small rural community with comparable programs, collections, and funding structure, making it the most direct comparable.
• Dansville Public Library: A Livingston County public library and OWWL member serving a small village of comparable scale to Avon; operates a similar mix of physical and digital services under a nonprofit library charter.
• Warsaw Public Library: A Wyoming County public library within the OWWL consortium serving a similarly sized rural New York community; operates comparable physical and digital library services to Avon Free Library.
• Bloomfield Public Library: An Ontario County public library and fellow OWWL member serving a small rural community; comparable in size, governance model (501(c)(3) nonprofit), and offerings to Avon Free Library.
• Perry Public Library: A Wyoming County public library and fellow OWWL member; operates under a similar small-town nonprofit library model with comparable collections, programming, and accessibility services.
• Geneseo Public Library: Another OWWL member in Livingston County serving the Geneseo community; a direct geographic and operational peer with comparable size, mission, and funding model.

Broad incumbents

• New York State Library: The statewide library agency providing oversight, funding programs, and Charter support for Avon Free Library (which was originally chartered through the State Education Department); a broader incumbent in the same regulatory and support ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/avon-free-library

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Avon Free Library