Catskill Public Library

What Catskill Public Library does

Catskill Public Library is a two-branch public library system headquartered at 1 Franklin Street in Catskill, NY, with a second branch at 144 Malden Avenue in Palenville. Established in 1893 and operating from a 1901 Andrew Carnegie-funded neo-classical building, the library serves residents of the Catskill Central School District in Greene County, New York, plus any Mid-Hudson Library System (MHLS) cardholder. It is governed by an independent Board of Trustees and is operationally distinct from any parent corporation; a separate 501(c)(3) — the Friends of the Catskill Public Library and Palenville Branch, founded in 2024 — supports fundraising and volunteer engagement. The organization employs approximately seven staff across both branches, including a Library Director, Bookkeeper, Reference Librarian, Youth Services Librarian, Adult Services Librarian, and branch management.

The core offering is free public library services: lending of physical materials (books, DVDs, CDs, games), access to a 40+ title Board Game Collection and a Library of Things (STEAM kits, hotspots, Tonie Boxes, instruments, sports equipment, museum passes), digital lending through Libby/OverDrive, hoopla, Kanopy, Freegal, and PressReader, plus research databases from Gale, World Book Online, Britannica, Transparent Language, JobNow, and Gale Legal Forms. Local History assets — including the A. Fred Saunders Hudson River Steamboats Collection, Story Walks of Catskill cemetery tour, and digitized newspapers hosted via New York Heritage — are distinctive holdings. Catalog operations run on the III Vega integrated library system shared across 66 MHLS member libraries, and patron access is delivered through the MHLS mobile app (iOS/Android), the public website, and in-branch facilities.

The business model is overwhelmingly publicly funded: tax appropriations and grants cover the operating budget, while nominal transaction fees from office services (printing $0.10–$0.25 per side, faxing $1–$5 per transmission, free scanning to email) generate de minimis commercial revenue. The go-to-market is community-led — word-of-mouth, organic social (Facebook, Instagram), a weekly Mailchimp newsletter, the events calendar, and community partnerships (Questar III BOCES, The Arc Mid-Hudson, In Flight, Cultivate Catskill, Central Hudson HomeBoost, Catskill Farmer's Market). Outreach extends into senior centers, group homes, and homebound delivery routes, functioning as a distribution channel for both physical and digital resources. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Catskill Public Library

Legal name

Catskill Public Library

Website

https://catskillpubliclibrary.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1893

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Catskill Public Library is a two-branch public library system serving Catskill Central School District residents in Greene County, NY. It provides free access to physical and digital collections, community programs, museum passes, and outreach services, funded primarily by public tax revenue and grants.

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

Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC), Library-Based Learning Programs (Public Libraries) (EDAAAFAA), Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Community library programs
• Interlibrary loan network
• Digital lending platform
• Library outreach services

Headquarters

HQ city

Catskill

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Library Services: Free public library services funded primarily through public funding (tax revenue) and grants for Catskill Central School District residents. Core services are free; nominal fees charged only for optional office services.
2. Office Service Fees: Nominal fees for printing ($0.10-$0.25 per page), copying ($0.10-$0.25 per page), and faxing ($1-$5 per transmission) services. Scanning to email is free.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Catskill Public Library is a two-branch public library system (main branch in Catskill and Palenville Branch) offering free access to physical and digital collections, community programs, museum passes, office services, and accessibility services including homebound delivery. As a member of the Mid-Hudson Library System (MHLS), it provides cardholders access to a 66-library network spanning five New York counties.

Product overview

Catskill Public Library operates as a two-branch public library system (Catskill Public Library main branch and Palenville Branch Library) offering physical and digital collections, educational programs, and community services. The library provides traditional lending of books, media, and periodicals alongside non-traditional items through its Library of Things collection. Digital services are delivered through partnerships with Libby/OverDrive, hoopla, Kanopy, and numerous Gale and World Book databases. The library is part of the Mid-Hudson Library System, providing access to 66 member libraries across five counties. Additional offerings include museum passes, office services (printing, copying, scanning, faxing, notary), Local History collections, Board Game lending, and year-round youth and adult programming including the 2026 Summer Reading Program. The library serves Catskill Central School District residents and Mid-Hudson Library System cardholders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Friends of the Catskill Public Library and Palenville Branch: A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2024 to support and advance the library's mission through fundraising, community engagement, and volunteer efforts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free access to 66-library network holdings through MHLS
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration55 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, community and minor.

• Mid-Hudson Library System (MHLS)coreTechnology or IntegrationNetwork of 66 member libraries across Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Putnam, and Ulster counties. Allows cardholders to check out and return items at any participating library, request item delivery between libraries, and access shared digital resources and databases.
• The Arc Mid-HudsoncommunityStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrivate non-profit agency serving individuals and families in Ulster, Green and Putnam Counties. Provides individualized programs designed to foster independence, productivity, and participation in community life.
• In Flight, Inc.communityStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmpowers people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to reach for their hopes and dreams, supporting meaningful quality of life through programming that teaches independent living skills while supporting inclusion and community integration.
• Questar III BOCEScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivers more than 275 educational and administrative services to 22 school districts in Rensselaer, Columbia, and Greene counties. Also provides statewide services to more than 670 school districts and BOCES in New York.
• Catskill Farmer's MarketcommunityStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides village, town, and county residents with fresh, high quality products and artisanal goods from local farmers and artisans. Friends of the Library participates monthly at the market.
• Cultivate CatskillcommunityStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal non-profit organization sponsoring the Catskill Village Cemetery Tour and Story Walk program.
• New York Heritage Digital CollectionscoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline repository hosting the Catskill Village Cemetery Tour video content. Part of Greene County Libraries Association partnership.
• Village of CatskillcommunityStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner for Story Walk program, collaborating on community heritage and education initiatives.
• Fortnightly Club of CatskillminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal civic organization providing partial funding for summer reading field trips including the MiSci museum visit.
• Central Hudson (HomeBoost Program)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing free HomeBoost BoostBox energy assessment kits to Central Hudson customers and MHLS cardholders. Includes free custom energy report valued at $99.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Mid-Hudson Library System: Regional library cooperative of which Catskill Public Library is a member. Operates 66 libraries across five counties providing shared catalog, inter-library loan, and digital infrastructure. Functions as cooperative infrastructure rather than a direct competitor.
• Ramapo Catskill Library System: Regional library cooperative serving Orange, Rockland, Sullivan, and parts of Ulster counties. Functions as a parallel consortium to Mid-Hudson Library System with similar shared infrastructure role for member public libraries in the Hudson Valley.

Broad incumbents

• Queens Public Library: Public library system serving Queens, NY with more than 60 branches. Operates at substantially larger scale than Catskill Public Library but in the same public library category with similar curatorial, programming, and digital resource offerings.
• New York Public Library: Massive public library system serving New York City with 92 branches. Operates at far greater scale than Catskill Public Library but in the same public library category with a comparable core mission of free public access to information, digital resources, and community programming.
• Albany Public Library: Public library system serving New York's capital region across multiple branches. Larger than Catskill Public Library but comparable as an upstate New York public library with similar programs, digital resources, and community partnerships.
• Brooklyn Public Library: Brooklyn-based public library system serving more than 2.7 million residents with 61 branches. A much larger New York public library system with broadly comparable community programming, digital lending, and outreach services.

Direct peers

• Windham Public Library: Small public library in Windham, Greene County, within the same county and Mid-Hudson Library System as Catskill Public Library. Comparable footprint, rural upstate New York setting, and community-oriented programming model.
• Kingston Library: Public library serving Kingston, NY in Ulster County. Similar small-to-medium Hudson Valley public library with comparable collections, digital resources, and community programming model in the same MHLS-adjacent region.
• Cairo Public Library: Small public library in Cairo, Greene County, neighboring Catskill. Highly comparable in scale, rural upstate New York context, and community-focused programming model.
• Saratoga Springs Public Library: Public library serving Saratoga Springs in upstate New York. Comparable community-focused public library offering similar programming, digital resources, and museum pass services in a similar small-city upstate context.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/51550639908
• Instagraminstagram.com/catskillpubliclibrary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catskill-public-library

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Catskill Public Library