Upper Moreland Free Public Library

What Upper Moreland Free Public Library does

Upper Moreland Free Public Library (UMFPL) is a chartered nonprofit public library established in 1959 and located at 109 Park Avenue in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, serving the residents, workers, and property taxpayers of Upper Moreland Township in Montgomery County. The library operates a single physical location 58 hours per week with a staff of 19, including an Executive Director, Assistant Director, Public Services Librarians, Youth Services and Outreach Librarians, Assistant Librarians, Library Aides, Library Technicians, and Patron Service Aides.

Its core offering combines a physical collection of more than 75,000 items with an extensive digital ecosystem accessed through the MCLINC consortium's Polaris library management system and statewide Power Library. Digital distribution includes OverDrive/Libby (1,000+ eBooks, 4,000+ audiobooks), hoopla, Kanopy, Freading, Pressreader, and 30+ research databases, alongside consumer integrations such as Princh for mobile printing, Beanstack for reading challenges, and Zoom for virtual programming. Unique circulating collections include a Library of Things (eReaders, hotspots, specialty tools), a Seed Library, museum passes, a 60+ board game collection, and 65+ Book Club In A Bag kits. Programs span story times, 1000 Books Before Kindergarten, SummerQuest and 100 Books Before Graduation challenges, PA MEDI Medicare counseling, adult literacy tutoring, test proctoring, and craft kits.

The business model is primarily tax-funded rather than commercial. UMFPL is financed by a voter-approved property tax millage on Upper Moreland Township properties, supplemented by donations through the Friends of UMFPL volunteer organization and named community/foundation donors. Fee-based revenue is minimal and consists of transactional charges for test proctoring ($15), late fees on Library of Things and museum passes ($5/day), and per-page printing ($0.15-$1.00). Services are free at point of use for eligible residents, and distribution is purely community-led through schools, civic partners, social media, and word-of-mouth.

Name

Upper Moreland Free Public Library

Legal name

Upper Moreland Free Public Library

Website

https://uppermorelandlibrary.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Upper Moreland Free Public Library is a chartered nonprofit public library in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, serving township residents with a 75,000-item physical collection, MCLINC consortium digital resources, youth/adult programming, and unique circulating collections, funded by property tax millage and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (519210)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO), Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF), Library User Services & Information Support (Reference, Research Help, Instruction Support) (EDAEAGAL), Interlibrary Loan (ILL) & Resource Sharing Operations (EDAEAGAK)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Community lending programs
• Digital media access
• Youth literacy programs
• Interlibrary loan network

Headquarters

HQ city

Willow Grove

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Tax Millage: Primary funding source from property tax millage assessed on Upper Moreland Township properties. Funds regular day-to-day library operations.
2. Donations and Friends of UMFPL: Friends of UMFPL raises funds to support technology, furnishings, special programs, and strategic goals. Receives donations from nonprofits, businesses, and community members including Charles H. and Mildred E. Speece Foundation, Charles & Margaret Whiting, and corporate sponsors like Freedom Credit Union.
3. Program Fees and Services: Small fees for specific services including test proctoring ($15), late fees on Library of Things items ($5/day) and museum passes ($5/day), and printing ($.15-1.00 per page depending on size/color).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Upper Moreland Free Public Library provides free public library services to Upper Moreland Township residents, including borrowing of 75,000+ physical items (books, movies, music, audiobooks, board games, museum passes, Library of Things), digital lending via OverDrive/Libby, hoopla, Kanopy, and Freading, access to 30+ research databases, public computers and WiFi, mobile printing, study and meeting rooms, and programming for all ages including story times, reading challenges, and adult learning workshops. Free library cards enable all services; ancillary fees apply only to test proctoring, printing, and late fees on specialty items.

Product overview

Upper Moreland Free Public Library is a traditional public library offering a unified catalog of physical and digital services. Physical services include traditional book/media borrowing (21-day loans), a Board Game Collection (60+ games), Book Club In A Bag kits (65+ kits), Library of Things (eReaders, hotspots, specialty items), and Museum Passes. Digital services include OverDrive/Libby (1,000+ eBooks, 4,000+ audiobooks), hoopla (streaming movies, music, comics), Kanopy (30,000+ videos), Pressreader (newspapers), and 30+ research databases. Youth programs include Story Times, 1000 Books Before Kindergarten, SummerQuest, and 100 Books Before Graduation reading challenges via Beanstack. Adult services feature Test Proctoring, Meeting Room reservations, PA MEDI Medicare Counseling, and Seed Library. The library is a member of the MCLINC consortium, providing interlibrary loan access to 29 additional Montgomery County libraries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Library Cards
• Physical Materials Borrowing
• Digital eBooks & Audiobooks
• Digital Media Streaming
• Board Game Collection
• Book Club In A Bag Kits
• Library of Things
• Museum Passes
• Test Proctoring Services
• Study Pods & Meeting Rooms
• Story Time Programs
• 1000 Books Before Kindergarten
• SummerQuest Reading Challenge
• 100 Books Before Graduation
• Take & Make Craft Kits
• Pre-K Packets
• Adult Craft & Spice Kits
• Online Databases & Research
• Public Computer Access & WiFi
• Mobile Printing
• Seed Library
• PA MEDI Medicare Counseling
• Teen Advisory Group & Volunteering
• Interlibrary Loan
• Book a Space

Quantifiable outcome

• 58 hours/week of service with professional librarian
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration35 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MCLINC (Montgomery County Library and Information Network Consortium)coreTechnology or IntegrationUMFPL is a member of MCLINC which provides the Polaris circulation program, Online Catalog, and Internet access. The consortium connects UMFPL with 29 other Montgomery County libraries for resource sharing, inter-library loans of 3,500+ items monthly, and shared digital resources including OverDrive/Libby, databases, and services.
• Upper Moreland School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal school district partner providing educational programming, student volunteer opportunities, and coordination for programs like 1000 Books Before Kindergarten and school library coordination.
• Upper Moreland Historical AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for local history resources and historical programming within Upper Moreland Township.
• Upper Moreland TownshipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocated next to Township building, library receives primary funding through property tax millage. Township manages Community Room reservations. Partnership includes shared facility and governance.
• Friends of UMFPLcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVolunteer organization that raises funds to support technology, furnishings, special programs, and strategic goals. Members receive annual Friends membership with donation, access to invitation-only events, and volunteer opportunities. Coordinates book sales and fundraising events.
• Power LibrarycoreTechnology or IntegrationStatewide Pennsylvania library consortium providing access to databases, eBooks, and digital resources available to all PA library cardholders. Includes BookFlix, EBSCOhost eBooks, and other statewide resources.
• Literacy Council of NorristownminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for adult literacy tutoring program. Library serves as site for volunteer tutors helping adult students prepare for GED, learn basic reading/writing/math, or learn English as another language. Training and support provided by Literacy Council.
• RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for PA MEDI Medicare counseling program. RSVP provides trained counselors who offer free, confidential, unbiased Medicare counseling by appointment at the library.
• OverDrive/LibbycoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital content platform providing 1,000+ eBooks and 4,000+ audiobooks to Montgomery County cardholders. Libby app provides mobile access.
• hoopla DigitalcoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital media service exclusive to UMFPL cardholders for borrowing movies, music, audiobooks, eBooks, comics, and TV shows on computer, tablet, phone, or TV.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Free Library of Philadelphia: Large urban Pennsylvania public library serving a broader metro area; operates with similar free-card model, MCLINC-adjacent digital resources, and community programming orientation.
• Abington Township Public Library: Adjacent Montgomery County public library serving a similar suburban township demographic with comparable collection size, MCLINC consortium membership, and community-programming focus.
• Bucks County Free Library: County-wide public library system in adjacent Pennsylvania county offering similar tax-funded public library services, programs, and digital lending platforms.
• Lower Merion Library System: Established suburban Philadelphia-area public library system with comparable service breadth, strong programming, and tax-supported funding model.
• Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library: County-seat public library within the same MCLINC consortium, sharing digital infrastructure, inter-library loan, and consortial purchasing with UMFPL.
• Delaware County Libraries: Adjacent Pennsylvania county library system providing similar tax-funded public library services, digital resources, and community programming.
• Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh: Pennsylvania public library system with comparable collections, digital lending, programming breadth, and tax-supported nonprofit governance structure.
• Cheltenham Township Library System: Neighboring Montgomery County library system with similar suburban footprint, tax-funded model, and youth/adult programming scope.

Broad incumbents

• New York Public Library: Massive national-scale public library system; serves as a benchmark for public library services, programs, and digital lending scale far exceeding UMFPL's footprint.
• Brooklyn Public Library: Large borough-wide public library system offering an overlapping portfolio of circulation, programming, and digital services at substantially greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/uppermorelandlibrary
• Facebookfacebook.com/uppermorelandlibrary
• Instagraminstagram.com/uppermorelandfreepubliclibrary
• Xx.com/UMFPL
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/upper-moreland-free-public-library

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Upper Moreland Free Public Library