Great Falls Public Library

What Great Falls Public Library does

Great Falls Public Library is a municipal public library serving the Great Falls, Montana community (population approximately 60,000) and surrounding Cascade County. Founded in 1890 and operating from a two-floor main building at 301 2nd Ave North, the library is governed by a Board of Trustees under a City/Library Management Agreement and serves patrons across all age groups through physical collections, digital resources, programming, and mobile services. The library currently employs 17 staff and operates a Strategic Plan covering 2023–2026 alongside a published Master Plan.

The library's core technology stack is a SirsiDynix-powered integrated library system (ILS) — evidenced by the mtsc.ent.sirsi.net catalog domain — that handles physical catalog management, patron accounts, holds, and checkouts. Digital lending is delivered through Montana Library 2 Go and the Libby App by OverDrive, providing 24/7 access to e-books, e-magazines, and audiobooks. The library has implemented a LendingKey-based book kit reservation system enabling community book clubs to reserve themed kits (almost 150 available) with 42-day checkout periods, and integrates with a broader set of content platforms including Kanopy Streaming, LinkedIn Learning, Mango Languages, ABCmouse, and the Chilton Automotive Database. Marketing and outreach run on a Wowbrary weekly newsletter and a WordPress website, with mobile printing capability for patrons.

The business model is non-commercial and publicly funded. Primary revenue arrives through a mill levy taxation mechanism administered under the City/Library Management Agreement, supplemented by donations channeled through the Great Falls Public Library Foundation. All patron-facing services — physical lending, digital lending, computer use, WiFi, programming, book kits, notary, test proctoring, fax/copy/scan/print, meeting rooms, and outreach events such as Summer Music in Library Park — are provided free of charge. Distribution is multi-channel: walk-in library services, a bookmobile (including a dedicated homebound delivery service for patrons unable to travel), digital platforms, Little Free Libraries placed in neighborhoods, and interlibrary loan partnerships with other Montana libraries including Missoula Public Library and Bitterroot Public Library.

Name

Great Falls Public Library

Legal name

Great Falls Public Library

Website

https://greatfallslibrary.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1890

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Great Falls Public Library is a municipal library founded in 1890 serving Great Falls, Montana (~60,000 residents). It provides free physical and digital lending, age-grouped programming, bookmobile services, and community partnerships, funded by mill levy taxation and Foundation donations.

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

Keywords

• Public library services
• Community education programs
• Digital resource lending
• Interlibrary loans
• Bookmobile services

Headquarters

HQ city

Great Falls

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

Revenue model

1. Public Tax Funding: Primary funding through city government allocation and mill levy taxation. Managed under a City/Library Management Agreement.
2. Donations and Foundation Support: Accepts financial donations through the Great Falls Public Library Foundation. Foundation supports library programs and events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Great Falls Public Library is a municipal public library that provides free access to physical and digital library materials (books, audiobooks, movies, magazines, databases), educational and cultural programs for all ages, meeting spaces, and outreach services including a bookmobile. It serves the residents of Great Falls, Montana and surrounding Cascade County through its main library and a bookmobile route.

Product overview

Great Falls Public Library is a community public library offering a unified catalog and lending platform. The core offerings include the SirsiDynix-powered Catalog Search for physical materials, E-Books/E-Magazines/Audiobooks through Montana Library 2 Go and Libby App, and Book Kits for community book clubs via LendingKey. Additional services span digital resources (Kanopy, LinkedIn Learning, Mango Languages, ABCmouse, Chilton Database), computer and WiFi access, printing services, meeting rooms, and programming for kids, teens, and adults including the Summer Reading Program. The Bookmobile extends services to underserved areas, while Little Free Libraries provide 24/7 neighborhood access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Library Card and Borrowing Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Almost 150 free book kits available for community book clubs
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LendingKey (MuseumKey)coreTechnology or IntegrationLendingKey (operated through MuseumKey platform) provides the book kit reservation system allowing book clubs to reserve themed book kits online. The system enables 42-day checkout periods and integrates with partner library systems for cross-library kit delivery across Montana.
• Montana Library 2 Go / OverDrivecoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital content partnership providing e-books, e-magazines, and audiobooks through the Libby App platform. Enables 24/7 digital access for library patrons.
• Montana Partner LibrariescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of Montana public libraries including Missoula Public Library and Bitterroot Public Library for interlibrary loan services. Book kits can be requested from partner libraries and picked up at associated branches. Enables broader collection access for Great Falls patrons.
• Great Falls Public Library FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNonprofit foundation supporting library programs and events through financial contributions. Provides funding that enables free programming including Montana Shakespeare in the Parks performances at the library.
• Montana Shakespeare in the ParksminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFree summer parks tour bringing Shakespeare performances to Library Park. Supported by the Great Falls Public Library Foundation. Draws community members to the library for cultural programming.
• STARBASE MontanaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership bringing STEM programming to the library including robotics workshops (Spike Prime Robots, Sphero Robots), marble roller coasters, and Mars Landing Challenge activities for youth.
• Little Shell Tribal ClinicminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTribal health clinic offering Medicaid sign-up assistance at the library, providing healthcare access information to community members.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bozeman Public Library: Montana municipal public library serving a comparable mid-size population with the same combination of physical lending, digital resources, programming, and community partnerships.
• Missoula Public Library: Montana municipal public library of comparable scale and service mix; explicitly named as an interlibrary loan and book-kit sharing partner, offering identical catalog, digital, and programming models to overlapping regional patrons.
• Billings Public Library: Montana's largest municipal public library; offers the same core catalog lending, digital access, programming, and community-services model that GFPL uses, making it a direct comparable for scale benchmarking.
• Bitterroot Public Library: Named Montana interlibrary loan and book-kit partner; operates the same LendingKey-based book-kit lending model and shares patrons across the state, making it a directly comparable service peer.
• Helena Public Library: Montana state-capital municipal public library operating the same public-library service model (catalog lending, digital resources, programming, community partnerships) for a similarly sized catchment.

Others

• OverDrive (Libby): Provides the Libby App digital-lending platform that GFPL uses to deliver e-books, e-magazines, and audiobooks; not a competitor but the enabling infrastructure provider for a core service line.
• SirsiDynix: Provides the integrated library system (ILS) that powers GFPL's catalog, patron accounts, holds, and checkouts (mtsc.ent.sirsi.net); a foundational technology enabler rather than a peer competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Seattle Public Library: Major municipal public library system operating the same combination of catalog lending, digital resources, programming, and community partnerships GFPL offers; broadly comparable model at substantially larger scale.
• Chicago Public Library: Large urban public library system delivering the same catalog, digital lending, programming, and community-services model GFPL offers, but at vastly greater scale and with more centralized governance.
• New York Public Library: Much larger public library system offering the same fundamental mix of physical lending, digital resources, programming, and community partnerships at urban scale; useful as a broad-incumbent benchmark for the long-term arc of the public-library model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/great-falls-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 Great Falls Public Library