Grace A. Dow Memorial Library

What Grace A. Dow Memorial Library does

Grace A. Dow Memorial Library is a public library operating as a department of the City of Midland, Michigan, serving the city and 14 surrounding townships. Founded in 1899, the library runs from a single facility at 1710 W. St. Andrews with a 20-person staff and hours spanning Monday through Saturday. Core operations center on circulating physical and digital collections, running community programs, and acting as a public-access hub for computing, Wi-Fi, and meeting space. Customers are organized across children/families, teens, adults, educators, genealogists, and community gardeners, with no fee-based admission for residents of the service area.

The library's service surface combines a traditional ILS (Biblionix), statewide interlibrary loan via MeLCat (435+ Michigan libraries, 34 million holdings, 90%+ fill rate), and a broad set of third-party digital platforms: Libby/OverDrive for eBooks and audiobooks, Kanopy for streaming video, Beanstack for reading challenges, EBSCOhost for research databases, Ancestry and MyHeritage for genealogy, LinkedIn Learning and Creativebug for skills content, and TumbleBook/TumbleMath for children's content. The MidLab makerspace adds fabrication capabilities (Glowforge Pro, xTool P3 CO2 cutter, Prusa MK4 3D printers, Cricut, Sawgrass SG1000 sublimation). The Library of Things and Library of Things Plus extend lending into equipment, while the newly launched Seed Library adds heirloom-seed lending in partnership with Seed Savers Exchange.

Revenue mechanics are primarily tax-funded through the City of Midland, supplemented by a nonprofit 501(c)(3), the Friends of the Grace A. Dow Memorial Library, which funds MidLab equipment, Summer Reading, and Tween Space via twice-yearly book sales. Ancillary fee streams include non-resident library cards ($125/year), OCLC interlibrary loan ($10.50/request), printing ($0.10 B/W, $0.50 color), replacement cards ($2), lost-material processing fees (item cost + $8), and tiered room rentals ($15-$50/hr or $30-$50/month). No figure for total operating budget or annual revenue is publicly disclosed.

Name

Grace A. Dow Memorial Library

Legal name

Grace A. Dow Memorial Library

Website

https://gadml.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Grace A. Dow Memorial Library is a public library department of the City of Midland, Michigan, serving the city and 14 surrounding townships with books, digital media, genealogy resources, a makerspace, programs, and meeting space.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (519210)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAEAGAC

Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management

Education/Education Facilities & Support Services/Library, Media Center & Learning Space Operations

SECONDARYBPAIACAO

Public Libraries & Information Services

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Local/Municipal Government Administration

SECONDARYEDAAAFAA

Library-Based Learning Programs (Public Libraries)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Community & Public Education Programs (Libraries, Community Centers)

SECONDARYEDAMAJAO

Library, Reading Motivation & Independent Reading Programs

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Reading, Writing & Literacy Enrichment

SECONDARYEDAEAGAL

Library User Services & Information Support (Reference, Research Help, Instruction Support)

Education/Education Facilities & Support Services/Library, Media Center & Learning Space Operations

Keywords

• Public library services
• Community programming
• Makerspace access
• Interlibrary loan
• Digital lending

Headquarters

HQ city

Midland

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Library Services: Core library services funded by municipal taxes from City of Midland and service area townships. Free services include book checkout, computer use, Wi-Fi, programs, and makerspace access.
2. Non-Resident Library Cards: Annual membership fee for individuals outside the service area, providing access to all library materials and digital resources.
3. Printing and Copying: Black and white printing at $0.10 per page and color printing at $0.50 per page. Revenue from patrons using public computers or mobile printing.
4. Interlibrary Loan (OCLC): Fee-based interlibrary loan service through OCLC system costing $10.50 per request, including software and postage fees. MeLCat service remains free.
5. Room Rentals: Rental of library spaces including auditorium (capacity 262), community room (capacity 49), conference rooms (capacity 16), and mezzanine for art displays. Rates vary by room type and nonprofit/for-profit status.
6. Donations and Memorial Gifts: Monetary donations accepted in honor or memory of individuals. Donors may specify material type and subject area. Includes bookplate placement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Grace A. Dow Memorial Library is a municipal public library providing free access to physical and digital book collections, research databases, makerspace equipment, community meeting spaces, and educational programming for residents of Midland, Michigan and 14 surrounding townships. It also offers paid non-resident memberships, room rentals, printing services, and interlibrary loan transactions as supplemental services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MidLab: Makerspace for adults and teens to create, tinker, and explore
• Library of Things
• Library of Things Plus
• Seed Library
• Browsing To-Go
• FRIENDS of the Library

Products and services

• Resident Library Card Free library card providing residents of the City of Midland and 14 surrounding townships full access to books, eBooks, audiobooks, DVDs, digital resources, research databases, computer use, Wi-Fi, programs, and makerspace.
• Non-Resident Library Card Annual paid library membership at $125/year for households outside the GADML service area, providing full access to all materials, electronic resources, and databases.
• MidLab Makerspace Makerspace for adults and teens to create, tinker, and explore using professional equipment including laser engravers, 3D printers, Cricut machines, and sublimation printers. Free for library card holders.
• Library of Things Lending service for non-book items including board games, craft kits, and kits for various activities, available to library card holders.
• Library of Things Plus Premium lending service for electronics, tools, and equipment available for checkout by library patrons.
• Seed Library Community program allowing library card holders to borrow up to 15 heirloom and open-pollinated seeds for free, with education on seed saving and goal of creating a self-sustaining seed library.
• Browsing To-Go Staff-assisted book selection service providing personalized book recommendations and curated selections for patrons.
• Room Rentals Rental of library spaces including the auditorium (capacity 262), community room (capacity 49), conference rooms (capacity 16), and mezzanine for art displays. Nonprofit and for-profit rates available.
• Printing and Copying Services Printing and copying service offering black and white printing at $0.10/page and color printing at $0.50/page from library computers or via mobile printing.
• OCLC Interlibrary Loan Interlibrary loan service through the OCLC system at $10.50 per request (including $5.50 software fee and $5.00 postage), providing access to materials beyond the local collection.
• Digital Lending Services Digital lending service through Libby (OverDrive) for eBooks and audiobooks (up to 4 items at a time, 21-day borrowing period) and Kanopy for streaming video (15 tickets per month, 3-5 day borrowing period).
• Summer Reading Program Annual reading program running June 1 to July 31 open to readers of all ages, with prizes and grand prize baskets, tracked through the Beanstack platform.

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration24 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Michigan eLibrary (MeL)coreTechnology or IntegrationStatewide resource providing equitable access to information for Michigan residents through MeLCat interlibrary loan (435+ libraries), research databases, eBooks, and learning resources. GADML participates to expand collection beyond physical walls and provide professional research databases to patrons.
• Seed Savers ExchangeminorOthersTax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to heirloom seed preservation. Initial seed bank for GADML Seed Library purchased through Seed Savers Exchange.
• City of MidlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGADML is a department of the City of Midland. City provides funding through municipal taxes and manages HR/payroll functions. Library Director reports to City.
• Friends of the Grace A. Dow Memorial LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit support organization providing significant financial support for library programs, equipment, and services. Organizes twice-yearly book sales and provides funding for Summer Reading, MidLab equipment, Tween Space, and other initiatives.
• Local Schools and School DistrictsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with schools for classroom outreach visits (grades 3, 4, 6), teacher card program, book totes delivery to schools, and Battle of the Books competition.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Ann Arbor District Library: Michigan district library serving a similar university-adjacent community. Larger scale but very comparable in service breadth, digital infrastructure investments, and community programming focus. Direct peer for understanding library service innovation at scale.
• East Lansing Public Library: Michigan municipal public library serving a similar mid-size college town community. Comparable in scale, service portfolio, and Michigan-specific funding dynamics. Most directly comparable peer for benchmarking public library operations in a similar demographic context.
• Jackson District Library: Michigan district library serving Jackson County with multi-branch operations. Comparable in service scope, Michigan-specific funding environment, and community programming approach. Direct peer for understanding Michigan district library funding and operations.
• Kalamazoo Public Library: Michigan municipal public library serving a similarly-sized city. Comparable in scope of programming, digital lending, and community role. Direct peer for city-level public library operations and municipal funding relationships.
• Chelsea District Library: Smaller Michigan district library with comparable service mix including makerspace programming and community engagement. Direct peer for understanding smaller-scale public library operations in Michigan and programming strategies for limited-budget operations.
• Traverse Area District Library: Michigan regional library serving northwest Lower Peninsula. Comparable in community engagement programming, makerspace offerings, and digital service breadth for a similar population size. Direct peer for understanding regional library governance models.
• Northville District Library: Small Michigan district library serving a similar-sized suburban community. Comparable in single-building operations, programming scope, and Michigan district library funding model. Direct peer for benchmarking small-district library operations.
• Capital Area District Library: Michigan regional library system serving the Lansing area with multiple branches. Comparable in digital services, interlibrary loan participation, and program offerings to mid-size communities. Demonstrates multi-branch library model GADML does not currently operate.
• Kent District Library: Large Michigan regional library system with 18 branches serving the Grand Rapids metro area. Comparable in service diversity, digital infrastructure investments, and community programming focus. Larger scale than GADML but similar operating model and customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Detroit Public Library: Major Michigan municipal library system with deep historical collections and multiple branches. Operates at much larger scale than GADML but represents the broader incumbent landscape of large Michigan public libraries and historical research collections.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GraceDowLibrary
• Instagraminstagram.com/gracedowlibrary
• TikToktiktok.com/@gadmlibrary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grace-a-dow-memorial-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 Grace A. Dow Memorial Library