Willows Public Library

What Willows Public Library does

Willows Public Library is a municipal public library operating as a department of the City of Willows, California, serving the City of Willows and surrounding Glenn County community with a population of approximately 11,000+ residents. Established in 1906 and now located in the Willows Civic Center at 201 North Lassen Street, the library offers free access to books, audiobooks, periodicals, DVDs, public computers, and WiFi, along with educational programs including Summer Reading, Maker Time, Storytime, and a Jump Start preschool initiative. The library also operates a California Library Literacy Services program for adults and houses a 400+ volume Elizabeth Eubank Californiana collection and microfilm newspaper archives dating to 1877.

The library is supported by a 5-7 person staff led by City Librarian Christine Watson, with Children's Librarian Vianka Rubalcava Torres managing youth services. Core technology infrastructure is built on the ByWater Solutions Koha integrated library system, shared with the Orland Free Library, enabling interlibrary loan and a unified online catalog. Distribution channels include walk-in services, the online catalog, the ZIP Book mail-delivery program, and interlibrary loan with regional partners. All services are provided free of charge to the public.

The business model is municipal tax funding: the library is funded through City of Willows appropriations and supplemented by grants from the California State Library (including California Library Literacy Services, Library Connect broadband, and EmPOWERing Access) and other organizations. Governance is provided by a five-member Library Board of Trustees appointed by the City Council. The library operates as a government department with no commercial revenue, no private investors, and no parent entity outside the municipal government. Partnerships with Friends of the Willows Public Library, First 5 of Glenn County, Glenn County Health & Human Services Agency, Willows Chamber of Commerce, and Willows Rotary support fundraising, early childhood programming, and community outreach.

Name

Willows Public Library

Legal name

Willows Public Library

Website

https://cityofwillows.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1906

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Willows Public Library is a municipal public library in Willows, California, offering free books, media, computers, WiFi, and educational programs to residents of Willows and Glenn County. It operates as a City of Willows government department funded by municipal taxes and state grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Libraries and Archives (519210), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO), Library Collections & Cataloging Services (Acquisitions, Metadata, Circulation) (EDAEAGAE), Digital Library & Electronic Resources Operations (e-Resources, Repositories, Licensing) (EDAEAGAF), Library User Services & Information Support (Reference, Research Help, Instruction Support) (EDAEAGAL)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Community library access
• Literacy education programs
• Children's reading programs
• Interlibrary loan services

Headquarters

HQ city

Willows

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Municipal Tax Funding: The Willows Public Library is a municipal public library funded through city government appropriations and tax revenues. Services are provided free of charge to the public. The library also receives grants from California State Library and other organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Core offering

Willows Public Library is a municipal public library that provides free lending of books, audiobooks, periodicals, and DVDs, along with public computer access, free WiFi, and educational programs for all ages. The library serves the City of Willows and surrounding Glenn County area, supported by the ByWater Solutions Koha integrated library system shared with the Orland Free Library network.

Product overview

Willows Public Library is a municipal public library serving the City of Willows and Glenn County area. The library operates as a single unified service offering traditional library materials (books, audiobooks, periodicals, DVDs) alongside digital access services (public computers, WiFi, online catalog). The library's core offerings center on physical and digital collections managed through ByWater Solutions Koha catalog system, supported by various state library grant programs including California Library Literacy Services, Library Connect broadband, and EmPOWERing Access. Community programs include youth sports leagues, summer swimming, and seasonal reading initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Library serves Willows and surrounding Glenn County area with free access to materials and services
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Friends of the Willows Public LibrarycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNonprofit organization that supports library operations through fundraising, volunteer coordination, book sales, and advocacy. They sponsor library programs and assist with donor engagement and community outreach efforts.
• Willows Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business organization that promotes community commerce. The library partners for cross-promotion of events and services to the business community.
• California State LibrarycoreOthersProvides funding through California Library Literacy Services grant to support adult literacy education throughout Glenn County. Also provides Library Connect broadband and EmPOWERing Access programs.
• Orland Free LibrarycoreTechnology or IntegrationShares the ByWater Solutions Koha integrated library system, allowing interlibrary loans and shared catalog access between Willows and Orland library networks.
• Glenn County Health & Human Services AgencyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCounty agency providing health and social services; library provides information resources and serves as a community access point for health-related information.
• Willows RotaryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal service organization that supports community causes including library programs and initiatives.
• First 5 of Glenn CountyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEarly childhood initiative providing funding and support for programs serving children ages 0-5, partnering with library on early learning initiatives.
• California State ParksminorOthersCalifornia Parks Pass program allows library patrons to borrow passes for free access to over 200 state parks throughout California.
• Carnegie Corporation of New YorkminorOthersOriginal benefactor that provided $10,000 grant in 1910 to construct the Carnegie library building. Currently celebrating 250th anniversary with grants to existing Carnegie libraries.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Yolo County Library: Northern California county library system with a similar Carnegie-library heritage and rural-branch footprint. Comparable patron services including literacy programs and interlibrary cooperation.
• Sutter County Library: Adjacent Sacramento Valley county library serving a mix of small towns and rural areas. Operates branches comparable in size and function to Willows Public Library.
• Colusa County Free Library: Neighbor county library system in California's Sacramento Valley with a similar small-rural footprint, single-branch concentration, and reliance on state grant funding.
• Lake County Library: California county library serving a small, rural, geographically dispersed population similar to Glenn County. Comparable in scale, demographic mix, and dependence on state-level support.
• Tehama County Library: Adjacent northern California county library system serving a comparable rural, agricultural population. Operates multiple branches and shares California's cooperative library ecosystem.
• Butte County Library: Branch library system serving neighboring Butte County in northern California. Comparable rural-serving California county library with shared state funding channels and similar patron demographics.
• Mendocino County Library: Rural California county library system operating distributed branches across a large geographic area. Comparable reliance on Koha-class ILS, state grant funding, and small-town Carnegie-era heritage.

Broad incumbents

• California State Library: Statewide library authority that funds Willows through CLLS, Library Connect, and EmPOWERing Access. Acts as the umbrella governance and grant-making body for California public libraries.

Direct peers

• Orland Free Library: Adjacent Glenn County public library sharing the ByWater Solutions Koha ILS and interlibrary loan partnership with Willows. Closest direct peer by geography, technology stack, and service scale.

Others

• Friends of the Willows Public Library: Adjacent nonprofit fundraising and volunteer organization supporting Willows Public Library. Functions as a complementary ecosystem partner rather than a competing service, similar to Friends-of-the-Library chapters attached to public libraries nationwide.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@WillowsCityHall
• Facebookfacebook.com/willowspubliclibrary
• Instagraminstagram.com/cityofwillows
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/city-of-willows

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Willows Public Library