Medicine Hat Public Library

What Medicine Hat Public Library does

Medicine Hat Public Library (MHPL) is a municipally funded public library system headquartered at 414 1 St SE in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, established in 1915 and operating with approximately 15 staff. It serves the local Medicine Hat community and surrounding area as part of the Shortgrass Library System, which provides shared cataloguing, interlibrary loans via Alberta Relais, and collaborative resources across Alberta. Patrons access a hybrid portfolio of physical and digital lending — including books, eBooks, eAudiobooks, comics, video games, online courses, newspapers, and magazines — alongside differentiated programming such as the Kinsmen Children's Library, Tween Zone, TIC-TAC teen services, Family Play Time, Library of Things, Human Library, Book Club Kits, and Accessible Formats. The library also embeds social services through a Social Worker in the Library program and supports Newcomers to Canada and Homebound Individuals.

The technology stack is built on third-party platforms rather than proprietary systems: BiblioCommons for catalogue and user account management, Libby/Overdrive for digital lending, Kanopy for video streaming, PressReader for periodicals, Solaro for online study help, Udemy for online courses, and Mailchimp for the monthly newsletter. Distribution is primarily physical (walk-in at the main branch) supplemented by self-serve online resources, homebound delivery, and fee-based meeting room and theatre rentals.

MHPL is a non-profit institution whose revenue model is dominated by municipal government funding from the City of Medicine Hat through tax revenues, supplemented by modest fee-based streams — meeting room rentals, photocopying and mobile printing, and merchandise sales through the MHPL Merch Store (mhplstore.ca). Library membership is free to residents, with free trial options for new patrons. GTM motion is community-led (outreach to newcomers, homebound individuals, and free card trials) and event-driven (a comprehensive events calendar drives engagement and sign-ups). Marketing is multi-channel, including the website, social media, Mailchimp newsletter, BiblioFiles Blog, and printed/digital What's On booklet.

Name

Medicine Hat Public Library

Legal name

Medicine Hat Public Library

Website

https://mhpl.info

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Medicine Hat Public Library is a municipally funded public library in Medicine Hat, Alberta, serving local residents with physical and digital lending, community programming, social work services, and youth/family initiatives as part of the Shortgrass Library System.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Public library services
• Community programming
• Digital lending
• Interlibrary loans
• Children services

Headquarters

HQ city

Medicine Hat

HQ country

Canada

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. Municipal Government Funding: Primary funding from municipal government allocation (City of Medicine Hat) through tax revenues, typical for public libraries in Alberta.
2. Meeting Room Rentals: Fee-based rental of meeting rooms to community groups and organizations for events and gatherings.
3. Photocopying and Printing Services: Fee-based photocopying and mobile printing services for patrons.
4. Merchandise Sales: Sale of library merchandise through the MHPL Merch Store (mhplstore.ca).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Medicine Hat Public Library provides free lending of physical and digital materials, including books, eBooks, eAudiobooks, comics, video games, and a unique Library of Things collection, to residents of Medicine Hat, Alberta. It supplements lending with community programming for children, teens, and adults, dedicated study and recording spaces, a Social Worker in the Library program, a Human Library program, and interlibrary loan access across Alberta.

Product overview

Medicine Hat Public Library operates as a public library system offering a unified platform of physical and digital lending services. The core portfolio includes traditional physical material lending (books, video games, book club kits, Library of Things), digital content (eBooks/eAudiobooks/comics via Libby, eMagazines/newspapers via PressReader), online learning (Udemy courses, Solaro study help), and specialized community services (Social Worker program, Human Library program, accessibility services, newcomer resources). The library provides dedicated spaces for children (Kinsmen Children's Library), teens (TIC-TAC program, Tween Zone), and families (play spaces), plus facility rentals and mobile printing. Supplementary services include a merchandise store, blog (BiblioFiles), events calendar, and newsletter. All catalogue and account management is powered by Bibliocommons, while digital content is distributed through third-party platforms including Libby/Overdrive, Kanopy, and PressReader.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• eBooks, eAudiobooks & Comics Digital lending service for electronic books, audiobooks, and comics delivered through the Libby (Overdrive) platform, accessible to library card holders.
• eMagazines & Newspapers Digital periodical access service delivering newspapers and magazines in electronic format via the PressReader platform.
• Video Games Lending service for physical console video games available to library card holders.
• Online Courses (Udemy) Access to Udemy's online learning platform offering personal and professional development courses for library card holders.
• Online Study Help (Solaro) Educational study assistance platform for students providing supplementary learning resources through the Solaro service.
• Library of Things Lending collection of non-traditional items including tools, equipment, and other practical objects available for community borrowing.
• Human Library Books Program allowing patrons to borrow human beings for conversation, connecting community members for interpersonal learning experiences.
• Book Club Kits Pre-packaged book sets designed for group reading and discussion, available for library card holders.
• Accessible Formats Specialized formats and services for patrons with accessibility needs, including materials in alternative formats.
• Kinsmen Children's Library Dedicated children's section with age-appropriate materials, programming, and services for young patrons.
• Teen Services (TIC-TAC) Enhanced library services specifically designed for teenage patrons, including dedicated spaces and programming under the TIC-TAC initiative.
• Social Worker in the Library On-site social work services providing community support, referrals, and assistance to library patrons.
• Quiet Study & Recording Space Designated spaces for quiet study and audio/video recording activities, available by reservation.
• Meeting Room Rentals Fee-based rental of library meeting rooms and theatre space to community groups and organizations for events and gatherings.
• Alberta Relais (Interlibrary Loan) Provincial interlibrary loan system enabling access to materials from other Alberta libraries.
• Mobile Printing Fee-based remote printing service allowing patrons to send print jobs to the library for pickup.
• Resources for Newcomers to Canada Specialized services and materials supporting new immigrants and refugees in settling into the Medicine Hat community.
• MHPL Merch Store Online merchandise store selling library-branded products and memorabilia.
• Events Calendar Comprehensive listing of library programs, activities, and events open to the public.
• Homebound Services Delivery service for homebound individuals who cannot visit the library in person.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Shortgrass Library SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShortgrass Library System is the regional library system that MHPL is part of, providing shared cataloguing, interlibrary loan services (Alberta Relais), and collaborative resources across the Alberta library network.
• Overdrive/LibbycoreTechnology or IntegrationOverdrive/Libby is the primary platform for the library's eBook and eAudiobook lending, integrated into the library's digital resource offerings.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lethbridge Public Library: Alberta-based municipal public library of similar mid-size scale to MHPL. Closely comparable in mandate, geographic scope within Alberta, and community-services orientation.
• Edmonton Public Library: Alberta's largest municipal public library system with comparable offerings (eBooks, streaming, courses, community programming, meeting rooms). Same provincial operating context as MHPL and part of the same interlibrary ecosystem via Shortgrass/Alberta Relais.
• Vancouver Public Library: Major Canadian municipal public library with a similar mix of physical lending, digital resources, programming, and community meeting spaces. Comparable service portfolio with different municipal funding base.
• Red Deer Public Library: Alberta municipal public library serving a mid-sized city. Comparable in operating model, services mix, and community programming scope to Medicine Hat Public Library.
• Calgary Public Library: Major Canadian municipal public library in Alberta serving a much larger urban population with similar service categories (digital lending, programming, community spaces). Directly comparable mandate and operating model, but at significantly greater scale.
• Toronto Public Library: Canada's largest public library system. Directly comparable in mandate and service categories (digital lending, programming, community spaces, newcomer services) but operates at materially greater scale and urban density.

Others

• Overdrive: Digital content platform (operating the Libby app) that supplies eBook, eAudiobook, and comic lending infrastructure to MHPL. Adjacent ecosystem participant enabling MHPL's digital lending service rather than a direct competitor.
• Bibliocommons: Technology vendor providing the catalogue and patron account management platform that MHPL depends on. Not a peer in service delivery but a critical infrastructure counterpart in the public library ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• New York Public Library: One of the world's largest public library systems. Comparable core mandate (free public access to information, programming, community services) but operates at vastly greater scale and offers far broader specialized programs not available at MHPL.
• Brooklyn Public Library: Large US public library system with comparable digital lending, programming, and community-services mandate. Broader incumbent operating at much larger urban scale than MHPL.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mhpubliclibrary

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Medicine Hat Public Library