Leach Public Library

What Leach Public Library does

Leach Public Library is a municipal public library located at 417 2nd Ave N in Wahpeton, North Dakota, chartered under the oversight of the Wahpeton City Council and operating continuously from its current building since 1924. The institution serves Wahpeton and Richland County residents free of charge, providing physical collections (books, large print, audiobooks on CD, DVDs, music CDs, magazines, newspapers), digital lending of eBooks and audiobooks through OverDrive/Libby, and online access to research databases (Gale, Mango Languages, Tumblebooks, BookFlix, ScienceFlix). Technology services include 3D printing, WiFi, computer access, printing/copying at $0.15 per page, scanning, fax receiving, and a circulating iPad program. Maker Kits covering Sphero, Ozobot, Makey Makey, Little Bits, Arduino, and Snap Circuits support STEM learning. Programs include the annual Summer Reading challenge, preschool story time, and the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten early literacy initiative.

The library is operated by a 9-person staff led by Library Director Melissa Bakken, alongside a Youth Services Librarian and library assistants, with volunteer governance from a City Council-appointed Library Board. Operating hours run Monday-Friday plus Saturday mornings. The library is a member of the ODIN (Online Dakota Information Network) consortium, partnering with the North Dakota State Library and Lake Agassiz Regional Library, and publishes searchable local and state historical newspaper archives online.

The revenue model is fundamentally government-funded: operations are sustained via municipal appropriations (with a historically established $2,000 annual tax for library maintenance) and supplemented by nominal fees for printing, copying, and fax services. Membership and core services are free to local residents. The supporting 'Friends of the Library' organization provides ancillary fundraising through membership dues and events such as the annual Chocolate Chocolate Day fundraiser. The customer base spans all age segments — children, teens, adults, young families, and homeschool groups — with no commercial customer concentration.

Name

Leach Public Library

Legal name

Leach Public Library

Website

https://leachlibrarywahpeton.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1909

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Leach Public Library is a municipal public library in Wahpeton, North Dakota, serving Wahpeton and Richland County residents since 1924 with free physical and digital collections, maker/STEM resources, educational programs, and community technology services.

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 industry

Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Community library programs
• Digital lending services
• Children's library programs
• Maker and stem resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Wahpeton

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. Printing and Copying Services: Nominal fees for printing, copying, and fax services provide ancillary revenue
2. Public Library Funding: Primarily funded through municipal tax levies as a public library; annual tax of $2000 historically established for library maintenance

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Leach Public Library is a municipal public library that lends physical and digital media, provides technology services such as 3D printing and iPad checkout, and delivers free educational and literacy programs to residents of Wahpeton and Richland County, North Dakota. Membership is free for local residents, and content is accessed either in person at the library or remotely via the Polaris catalog and Libby/OverDrive digital lending platform.

Product overview

Leach Public Library operates as a traditional public library offering a unified set of services centered around physical and digital content access, technology resources, and educational programs. The core offerings include physical collections (books, DVDs, audiobooks, magazines), digital content through Library2Go/OverDrive, technology services (3D printing, computers, WiFi, iPad checkout), Maker Kits for STEM learning, and various research databases. Programs include Summer Reading, preschool story times, and the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten early literacy initiative. The library also provides community resources like State Park Passes and historical newspaper archives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Polly's Place: Children's area remodeled in 2016-2017, named after Polly Benn Groneman

Products and services

• Physical Library Collections Physical library materials including Fiction and Non-Fiction books, Large Print materials, AudioBooks on CD, DVDs, Music CDs, Magazines, and Newspapers available for checkout by library members.
• Library2Go Digital Lending Service Digital lending service providing eBooks and audiobooks through OverDrive, accessible 24/7 via the Libby app for library card holders.
• Library Technology Services Patron technology services including 3D printing, computer access (30-minute limit during busy times), WiFi, printing, copy machine, fax receiving, and scanning services.
• iPad Checkout Program iPads loaded with apps available for 3-week checkout to patrons over 18 with valid library cards, supporting access to eBooks and digital magazines.
• Maker Kits STEM and Maker Space kits available for checkout including Duct Tape Crafts, Origami, Loom Knitting, Crayola Marker Air Brush, Button Maker, Cake Pans, Go Pro Camera, Sphero, Ozobot, Makey Makey, Little Bits, Snap Circuits, Bloxels, Arduino, and K'nex kits. Available for 3-week checkout to patrons 18 and older with valid library cards.
• North Dakota State Park Pass Lending

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, notable and minor.

• ODIN (Online Dakota Information Network)coreTechnology or IntegrationLibrary participates in the ODIN consortium, providing access to shared databases, catalog systems, and library resources across North Dakota libraries.
• North Dakota State LibrarycoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides databases, resources, and support services for North Dakota libraries including the Leach Public Library.
• OverDrive/LibbycoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital content platform providing eBooks and audiobooks available 24/7 through the Libby app for library card holders.
• Wahpeton City CouncilcoreOthersAppoints library board members and provides municipal oversight and funding support.
• Polly Benn Groneman familynotableOthersFamily supporter who contributed to the 2016-2017 children's area renovation, resulting in 'Polly's Place'.
• North Dakota State LibrarynotableOthersProvided support for the 2016-2017 Polly's Place children's area remodel.
• LARL (Lake Agassiz Regional Library)minorOthersRegional library system; LARL patrons have separate card arrangements with Leach Public Library.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• OverDrive (Libby): Primary digital content platform powering Leach's eBook/audiobook lending via the Libby app. Comparable as a critical infrastructure supplier whose economics and product roadmap materially shape Leach's digital service offering.
• Polaris Library Systems: Integrated library system vendor whose Polaris platform runs Leach's catalog and patron self-registration. Comparable as a core infrastructure supplier underpinning day-to-day library operations.
• American Library Association (ALA): National professional association governing public library standards, accreditation, and policy in the United States. Comparable as a peer ecosystem participant whose frameworks and advocacy shape the operating environment for small public libraries like Leach.

Regional players

• Richland County Public Library (if any): Note: Leach serves Richland County residents directly from its Wahpeton location; no separate county library entity is confirmed. Included as a placeholder for the most direct geographic peer; recommend verification of an actual entity before use.

Direct peers

• Online Dakota Information Network (ODIN): North Dakota library consortium of which Leach is a member. Comparable as a peer consortium organization pooling catalog, database, and digital resource access across multiple North Dakota libraries.
• Lake Agassiz Regional Library (LARL): Regional library system serving the same North Dakota/red river region as Leach Public Library, with mutually recognized patron cards. Most directly comparable as a regional library serving overlapping rural populations with similar collections and programming.
• Fargo Public Library: Neighboring North Dakota municipal public library in the larger Fargo-Moorhead metro area. Comparable as a like-kind municipal public library operating under the same state ecosystem (ODIN, Polaris) but at a larger urban scale.
• Bismarck Public Library: Municipal public library in North Dakota's state capital. Comparable as a same-state municipal public library sharing the same catalog consortium (ODIN/Polaris) and serving a similarly structured North Dakota community.
• Minot Public Library: Municipal public library in another mid-sized North Dakota city. Comparable as a same-state public library offering similar collections, digital lending, children's programming, and community services through shared ODIN infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• North Dakota State Library: State-level library agency that provides databases, resources, and capital support to North Dakota libraries including Leach. Comparable as a peer in the same statewide library ecosystem, though operating at a state-wide rather than municipal level.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/155210540562
• Instagraminstagram.com/leachpubliclibrary
• Pinterestpinterest.com/leachlibrary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/leach-public-library

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

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 Leach Public Library