What Peoria Public Library does

Peoria Public Library is a municipal public library system serving the city of Peoria, Illinois, founded in 1880 and operating across five branch locations: the Main Library on N.E. Monroe, the North Branch, the Lincoln Branch (a 1911 Carnegie Library on the National Register of Historic Places), the Lakeview Branch, and the McClure Branch. The system provides access to a physical collection valued at approximately $9.5 million and a digital collection valued at approximately $10 million, the latter distributed through third-party platforms including Libby, Hoopla, Kanopy, Flipster, Biblioboard, Beanstack, Boundless, LOTE4Kids, Comics Plus, The Palace Project, Udemy, and ABCmouse. Catalog and patron management runs on Sirsi Dynix; no proprietary platform or AI capability is built in-house. Library cards are free for city residents; non-residents pay $140 annually, and free teacher and student cards extend service into Peoria Public Schools and Dunlap Schools.

The library's business model is municipal: operations are funded primarily by local tax revenue, supplemented by donations from the nonprofit Friends of Peoria Public Library (which contributes approximately $25,000 annually and operates the Friendly Finds Bookstore) and modest non-resident card fees. Overdue fines, which had totaled $48,703 in 2019 (less than 1% of the annual budget), were eliminated in September 2020 under a fine-free policy that has since been adopted by 200+ libraries nationwide. Customer segments include Peoria city residents, children and youth (ages 0-17, served through reading challenges, Summer Reading, and the Lakeview Ledger youth newspaper), adults and seniors, teachers from Peoria Public Schools and Dunlap Schools, and non-resident students.

Specialized programs include the Seed Library (free vegetable, herb, and flower seeds at Main Library, sourced from Kelly Seed Co.), StoryWalks at three branches, multiple state-aligned reading challenges (Monarch K-3, Bluestem 3-5, Caudill 4-8, Lincoln 9-12, plus 100 Books Before High School), Peoria Reads!, Summer Reading, The Gallery art space, and the Local History & Genealogy department. The library is governed by a Board of Trustees, has 51-100 employees, and is not a privately held company — the analysis here treats it as a government-state entity.

Name

Peoria Public Library

Legal name

Peoria Public Library

Website

https://peoriapubliclibrary.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1880

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Peoria Public Library is a municipal public library system in Peoria, Illinois, operating five branch locations and serving city residents with free access to physical and digital collections, educational programming, and community events, funded primarily by local tax revenue.

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), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC), Library User Services & Information Support (Reference, Research Help, Instruction Support) (EDAEAGAL), Library Collections & Cataloging Services (Acquisitions, Metadata, Circulation) (EDAEAGAE), Library-Based Learning Programs (Public Libraries) (EDAAAFAA)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Community lending programs
• Digital media lending
• Reading challenge programs
• Local history research

Headquarters

HQ city

Peoria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Library Services: Free public library services funded primarily through tax revenue and Friends of the Library donations, supplemented by non-resident card fees and nominal fees for lost/damaged materials.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Peoria Public Library is a municipal public library system that lends physical and digital media (books, ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, movies, music) to cardholders and provides free access to research databases, community meeting spaces, and educational programming for all ages. The library operates five branch locations across Peoria, Illinois, funded primarily through local tax revenue, and offers specialized programs including a Seed Library, StoryWalks, reading challenges, and the Lakeview Ledger youth newspaper.

Product overview

Peoria Public Library is a public library system offering both physical and digital services. The core offerings include library cards for Peoria residents providing access to physical collections (estimated worth $9.5 million) and digital collections (estimated worth $10 million). Physical services include five branch locations with meeting rooms and The Gallery art space. Digital services include access to ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, movies, music, and research databases through platforms like Libby, Kanopy, Hoopla, and Flipster. The library also offers specialized programs including a Seed Library (free seeds at Main Library), StoryWalk outdoor literacy trails at three branches, and reading programs for all ages (100 Books Before High School, Caudill Readers, Monarch Readers, Bluestem Readers, Lincoln Readers). A Fine-Free Policy adopted in September 2020 eliminated overdue fines while maintaining fees for lost or damaged materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Friends of Peoria Public Library: A nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that supports library programming and events through donations, membership, and volunteer work. Invests approximately $25,000 annually to supplement the library's budget.

Products and services

• Digital Library Collection Digital collection of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, newspapers, movies, music, and research databases accessible online with a library card. Includes access to over a million titles and is estimated at $10 million in value.
• Physical Library Collection Physical collection of books, scholarly journals, magazines, movies, music, and other materials. Estimated worth $9.5 million. Available for borrowing with library card at all five branch locations.
• Library Card Services Free library cards for Peoria residents; non-resident cards available for $140/year; teacher and student cards available. Cards provide access to physical and digital collections. Residents' registrations expire after two years and must be renewed in person.
• Research Databases Collection of research databases covering topics including business, careers, education, consumer DIY, genealogy, government, literature, K-12 students, newspapers, and general research. Accessible with library card.
• Meeting Room Reservations Reservable meeting rooms at all five library locations via online reservation system (librarycalendar.com). Available for community meetings and events.
• Fine-Free Policy Policy eliminating overdue fines for late returns, removing barriers to access. Adopted September 8, 2020. Past overdue fines were forgiven. Fees for lost, damaged, or unreturned items still apply.
• Seed Library Free seed library at Main Library offering vegetable, herb, and flower seeds. Community donations accepted. Purchases seeds from locally owned Kelly Seed Co.
• StoryWalk Outdoor literacy program featuring illustrated storybooks along walking paths at McClure, Lincoln, and North branches. Open year-round with rotating story selections. Sponsored by Rotary Club of Peoria at Lincoln Branch.
• Reading Challenges (100 Books Before High School, Caudill, Monarch, Bluestem, Lincoln Readers) Reading challenge programs for grades K-12: 100 Books Before High School (K-8), Caudill Readers (grades 4-8), Monarch Readers (K-3), Bluestem Readers (grades 3-5), and Lincoln Readers (grades 9-12). Tracked via Beanstack or paper logs with prizes.
• Lakeview Ledger Kid-created newspaper facilitated by the library and funded by Friends of Peoria Public Library. Open to children ages 8-17. Teaches media and information literacy. Houses at Lakeview Branch.
• The Gallery Art gallery at Main Library featuring rotating exhibitions. Current exhibit: Hollywood Film photographs, June 16 - August 11.
• Peoria Reads! Community reading program featuring author events and reading activities. Includes access to Peoria Journal Star archives dating back to 1951.
• Summer Reading Program Annual summer reading program with prizes, events, and activities for all ages. Includes bicycle giveaways at Lincoln Branch (91 bicycles given in 2019).
• Friendly Finds Bookstore Used book store operated by Friends of Peoria Public Library. Located on Lower Level 2 of Main Library. Features 10,000+ titles of used books, DVDs, and CDs. Friends members receive 20% discount.
• Local History & Genealogy Department Department maintaining thousands of historic books, photos, and microfilm newspaper records. Staffed by reference assistants including Chris Farris. Supports genealogists and local history researchers.
• Five Branch Library Locations Five library locations: Main Library (107 NE Monroe), North Branch (3001 W. Grand Pkwy), Lincoln Branch (1312 W. Lincoln Ave), Lakeview Branch (1137 W. Lake Ave), and McClure Branch (315 W. McClure Ave). Lincoln Branch is the city's only Carnegie Library on the National Register of Historic Places.
• Virtual Library / Interlibrary Loan Access to materials from other libraries through interlibrary loan service. Provides expanded access to titles beyond the local collection.

Quantifiable outcome

• 240% increase in returned materials after eliminating fines (Chicago Public Library benchmark)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration15 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Friends of Peoria Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit organization supporting library programming and events. Invests approximately $25,000 annually to supplement library budget, operates Friendly Finds Bookstore, hosts author events, and coordinates summer reading celebrations including bicycle giveaways. President: Margaret Cousin.
• Caterpillar FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCaterpillar Foundation's Matching Gifts Program allows eligible employees to request annual combined total maximum match of $2,000 to eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofits including Friends of Peoria Public Library.
• Peoria Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for media literacy education and student access. Library provides teacher cards for classroom use and student cards for out-of-district students. Joint media literacy programming announced October 2021 in advance of Illinois mandate.
• Rotary Club of PeoriaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of StoryWalk at Lincoln Branch, supporting literacy through outdoor reading stations along the edges of the Carnegie Library grounds.
• Kelly Seed Co.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocally owned seed company from which the library purchases vegetable, herb and flower seeds for the Seed Library program.
• Amazon SmileminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFriends of Peoria Public Library receives 0.5% donation from eligible Amazon purchases when customers select Friends as their charity.
• KanopycoreTechnology or IntegrationAd-free streaming service providing access to movies, documentaries, foreign films, classic cinema, independent films and new releases for free with library card.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Chicago Public Library: Largest public library system in Illinois; explicitly cited as the benchmark for Peoria's fine-free policy adoption (240% increase in returned materials), making it the most directly comparable peer for policy outcomes and scale.
• Indianapolis Public Library: Mid-size Midwest municipal public library system with multiple branches serving Indianapolis; comparable community programming, school partnerships, and fine-free policy positioning.
• Columbus Metropolitan Library: Mid-Ohio metropolitan library with multi-branch operations, strong educator partnerships, and progressive programming models comparable to Peoria's community-led approach.
• Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library: Midwest urban-county library system with comparable branch count, Carnegie heritage, and strong community programming similar to Peoria's portfolio.
• Hennepin County Library: Minnesota library system that adopted fine-free policies and operates comparable community programming; a relevant peer for policy benchmarking and digital lending model.
• Nashville Public Library: Mid-size southern city public library with comparable multi-branch footprint, school partnerships, and youth literacy programs (e.g., similar Monarch/Caudill-style reading challenges).
• Multnomah County Library: Pacific Northwest public library known for progressive access policies and digital lending, providing a peer model for expanding digital-first services.
• Kansas City Public Library: Carnegie-library-heritage public library serving Kansas City with comparable branch network and historic building preservation obligations similar to Peoria's Lincoln Branch.

Broad incumbents

• Library of Congress: National library authority providing framework, interlibrary loan infrastructure, and reference standards; not a direct competitor but a broader incumbent that shapes the public library category.

Regional players

• St. Louis Public Library: Same-state Illinois (Missouri-border) public library system; relevant geographic neighbor for shared consortia and state-level program participation though not a direct competitor for patrons.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PeoPubLibrary
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/peoriapubliclibrary
• Facebookfacebook.com/peoria.publiclibrary
• Instagraminstagram.com/peoria_public_library
• TikToktiktok.com/@peoriapubliclibrary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/peoria-public-library

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Peoria Public Library