Bradford Public Library

What Bradford Public Library does

Bradford Public Library (BPL) is a municipal public library located at 21 S Main St, Bradford, Vermont 05033, serving the residents of Bradford and surrounding communities. Operating as a government entity under a Board of Trustees with a staff of approximately 12, the library provides free access to physical and digital library materials, public computing, WiFi, research databases, and community programming for patrons of all ages — children, teens, and adults. Its core technology stack centers on the Koha open-source library catalog system for the online public access catalog, supplemented by the Green Mountain Library Consortium's OverDrive platform for digital audiobooks and eBooks, the MANGO language learning platform, and subscription research databases (Gale, Heritage Quest, Wilson Web, Vermont Online Library) provided through the Vermont Department of Libraries.

The library sustains a portfolio of community-oriented programs, including the annual Poem Town community poetry project (documented annually from 2021 through 2026), BPL Creates adult crafting, BPL READS book discussion group, BPL Gallery rotating art exhibits, Teen Summer Theater, and Tech Savvy technology training. Partnerships are core to its service model: the Green Mountain Library Consortium extends digital lending, the Vermont Humanities Council funds reading and discussion programs, and MANGO Languages provides self-directed language learning. BPL also operates 24/7 curbside WiFi, inter-library loan services, and an email newsletter (BPL Newsletter / BPL Bookends) to maintain patron engagement beyond its limited Tuesday-Saturday operating hours.

As a free public service, BPL does not generate commercial revenue. It is funded through municipal appropriations, grants (notably a $1,500 Winnie Belle Learned Grant Award from the Vermont Public Library Foundation in 2010), donations, annual appeals, and community fundraisers. Its competitive position is defined not by market rivalry but by its role as the sole public library serving Bradford — a structural monopoly within its service area — and by its integration into Vermont's broader library consortium ecosystem, which materially expands the digital and programming resources available to its patrons.

Name

Bradford Public Library

Legal name

Bradford Public Library

Website

https://bradfordvtlibrary.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bradford Public Library is a municipal public library in Bradford, Vermont serving community members with free access to physical and digital materials, research databases, public computing, and programs for all ages, operated by a 12-person staff and funded through municipal appropriations, grants, and donations.

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

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

Keywords

• Public library services
• Community programming
• Digital lending
• Research databases
• Language learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Bradford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Library Services: Bradford Public Library operates as a free public library funded primarily through municipal support, donations, annual appeals, and grant funding. Services are provided at no cost to community members.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bradford Public Library is a municipal public library serving Bradford, Vermont. It provides free access to physical library materials, digital audiobooks and eBooks via the Green Mountain Library Consortium's OverDrive platform, research databases (Gale, Heritage Quest, Wilson Web), language learning through MANGO Languages, 24/7 curbside WiFi, and a calendar of community programs including Poem Town, BPL Creates, book discussion groups, teen theater, and children's programming.

Product overview

Bradford Public Library is a public library in Bradford, Vermont offering a unified catalog-based service model centered on its Koha-powered library catalog. The library provides physical and digital lending services including digital audiobooks and eBooks via the Green Mountain Library Consortium's OverDrive platform, language learning through MANGO Languages, and research databases including Gale, Heritage Quest, and Wilson Web. The library supports community engagement through diverse programs including the annual Poem Town poetry initiative, BPL Creates adult crafting, BPL READS book discussions, BPL Gallery rotating art exhibits, Teen Summer Theater, Tech Savvy technology training, and children's programs like Art with the Greats and Summer Book Quest. Core services include 24/7 curbside WiFi access, inter-library loan, and newsletters. The library operates on a modest schedule with limited evening and weekend hours and is governed by a Board of Trustees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Library Catalog (Koha OPAC)
• Digital Audiobooks and eBooks Lending
• MANGO Languages
• Research Databases
• Curbside WiFi
• Inter-library Loan
• Poem Town Community Poetry Program Annual community poetry program featuring submissions from local poets, displayed in the library and online, with ongoing iterations from 2021 through 2026.
• BPL Creates Adult Crafting Program
• BPL READS Book Discussion Group
• BPL Gallery Exhibits
• Tech Savvy Technology Training
• Teen Summer Theater Annual teen drama program including script writing workshops and live theater performances, conducted in partnership with teaching artists.
• BPL Newsletter and Bookends Newsletter

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Green Mountain Library ConsortiumcoreTechnology or IntegrationBPL participates in the Green Mountain Library Consortium, providing patrons with access to shared digital audiobooks and eBooks through the OverDrive platform. This partnership extends the library's digital collection significantly.
• Vermont Humanities CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Vermont Humanities Council sponsors reading and discussion programs at BPL including the Vermont Reads program and book discussion series. The Council provides funding, resources, and author events.
• Vermont Department of LibrariescoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides access to Gale Databases, Heritage Quest, Wilson Web, and online reference services through the Research/Reference tab on BPL's website.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Groton Free Public Library: Small Vermont public library serving the town of Groton with physical lending, digital resources, and community programming. Directly comparable in operating model and rural community scale.
• Thetford Public Library: Public library in Thetford, Vermont, within driving distance of Bradford. Similar small-library operating model serving a rural Upper Valley community with comparable programming and a single physical location.
• Bethel Public Library: Public library in Bethel, Vermont, offering traditional and digital lending plus community programming on a comparable scale. Closely matched to BPL in staff size, service scope, and reliance on municipal funding.
• Newbury Public Library: Public library in Newbury, Vermont, immediately adjacent to Bradford on Route 5. Comparable in scale, mission, and service mix (physical lending, programs, digital consortia access), serving a similar rural Orange County population.
• Chelsea Public Library: Public library in Chelsea, Vermont, also in Orange County. Operates with a similarly small staff and budget, offering physical lending, programming for children and adults, and digital resource access — a directly comparable small-town library model.
• Williamstown Public Library: Public library in Williamstown, Vermont — a comparable small Vermont public library offering lending, technology training, and community programming for a similarly sized rural population.
• Ryegate Public Library: Neighboring public library in Ryegate, Vermont, in the same Orange County as Bradford. Operates as a small municipal library with similar programming (children's/teen/adult activities, digital lending) for a small rural population — an essentially identical operating profile.
• Topsham Public Library: Public library in Topsham, Vermont, in close geographic proximity to Bradford. Operates with comparable resources and service mix including children's, adult, and digital programming.
• Tunbridge Public Library: Public library in Tunbridge, Vermont — another small Orange County / Upper Valley library with comparable operating structure, programming breadth, and funding model.
• Strafford Public Library: Public library serving Strafford, Vermont, operating on a similar small staff with physical/digital lending and community programming for a small rural town.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/bradfordvtlibrary
• Instagraminstagram.com/bradfordpubliclibrary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bradford-public-library

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Bradford Public Library