San Rafael Public Library

What San Rafael Public Library does

San Rafael Public Library is a municipal public library system operated by the City of San Rafael, California, serving residents of San Rafael and surrounding Marin County communities through three physical branches and a bookmobile. Core services include physical and digital lending, information and reference assistance, free in-person and online programming for all ages, and citizenship and immigration resources delivered in partnership with U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services. All services are provided free of charge at the point of use.

The library's technology footprint is built on third-party digital-content platforms (e.g., OverDrive/Libby, hoopla, ComicsPlus, flipster, Kanopy, Tutor.com, Brainfuse, Mango) layered on top of its proprietary catalog and circulation systems, supplemented by in-house digital-access services such as the public Wi-Fi mesh and Zip Books mail-delivery program. There is no proprietary AI development; AI-related activity is limited to patron-education programming (AI Basics workshops).

The business model is non-commercial: funding flows from the City of San Rafael general fund, dedicated voter-approved measures (e.g., Measure P), and California State Library grant programs, with no fee-for-service revenue stream. Distribution occurs through physical branches, the bookmobile, the library website and app, and third-party consumer apps. Key institutional partnerships include the Marin County Free Library, San Rafael City Schools (Student MyCard), the County of Marin, California State Parks, and regional library systems participating in One Book, One Coast.

Name

San Rafael Public Library

Legal name

San Rafael Public Library

Website

https://srpubliclibrary.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1887

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

San Rafael Public Library is a municipal library system serving San Rafael, California residents through three branches and a bookmobile, delivering free physical and digital lending, programming, and reference services funded by the City of San Rafael and state library grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

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

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), Interlibrary Loan (ILL) & Resource Sharing Operations (EDAEAGAK), Library Collections & Cataloging Services (Acquisitions, Metadata, Circulation) (EDAEAGAE)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Community lending programs
• Digital library resources
• Educational programming
• Youth literacy programs

Headquarters

HQ city

San Rafael

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Library Services: San Rafael Public Library is a municipal public library that provides free access to library services for all community residents. All services including physical book lending, digital resources, programs, and computer access are provided at no cost to patrons. Funding comes from municipal/city budget allocations and state library funding programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

San Rafael Public Library is a municipal public library that provides free access to physical and digital library materials, educational programs, computer and WiFi access, and community services across three branches (Downtown, Pickleweed, Northgate). Core services include book and media lending, eResources, interlibrary loan, children/teen/adult programming, and specialized offerings such as Zip Books home delivery, Student MyCard school access, and Seed Library.

Product overview

San Rafael Public Library provides public library services across three locations (Downtown, Pickleweed, and Northgate) through a combination of physical collections, digital resources, and community programs. The core offering centers on traditional library services (book lending, digital media, research databases) augmented by specialized programs including Student MyCard for K-12 student access, Zip Books for direct-to-home delivery, the Seed Library for community gardening, and the Interactive Light Lab for children's learning. Digital services are accessed through third-party platforms including Libby, Hoopla, Kanopy, Palace Project, and BrainFuse. The library also offers technology education through AI Basics workshops and Drop-In Tech Help, teen engagement via the Teen Advisory Board, ESL conversation practice, and creative programming like Mystery Maker Bags.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Student MyCard: Program allowing students to use student ID numbers to access library resources

Products and services

• Student MyCard Library access program allowing K-12 students in San Rafael City Schools to use their student ID numbers (prefixed with SRCS) as library card numbers, providing free access to physical materials, digital resources, computers, and online databases.
• Zip Books On-demand book delivery service that ships physical books, eBooks, and eAudiobooks not available in MARINet or Link+ catalogs directly to patrons' homes. Books are free to patrons and shipped via Amazon; returned items join the library collection.
• Digital Library Services Suite of digital resources including eBooks, eAudiobooks, streaming media (Hoopla, Kanopy), digital magazines (Libby), language learning (Mango Languages), online tutoring (BrainFuse), newspapers (NYT, NewsBank), and cultural passes (Discover & Go).
• Interactive Light Lab Educational light tables in the Children's Room with built-in light mixing for teaching color science, plus accessory toys for pattern and design activities. Designed to develop fine motor skills, social skills, creative thinking, and problem-solving in children.
• San Rafael Seed Library Community seed sharing program where patrons can borrow vegetable, herb, flower, and native plant seeds for free, grow them at home, and return saved seeds at the end of the growing season.
• Teen Advisory Board (TAB) Youth leadership program for teens ages 13-18 that provides input on library services, plans teen events, writes reviews, and advocates for teen needs. Members meet monthly and earn volunteer/service hours.
• AI Basics Workshops Free beginner-friendly two-part workshop series introducing artificial intelligence concepts. Covers generative AI, predictive AI, practical applications, privacy considerations, and identifying misinformation. Presented in partnership with ESCOM (Emeritus Students of College of Marin).
• Mystery Maker Bags Creative activity kits for children containing materials and challenges to complete at home, encouraging creative problem-solving and design thinking.
• Unlock Your Digital Library Hands-on workshop series demonstrating library digital resources including Libby, Hoopla, Kanopy, Mango Languages, BrainFuse, and other eResources. Bi-monthly sessions held at Downtown Library with guided demonstrations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 162,000+ in-person visits and 32,000+ active cardholders in FY 2024-2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration14 records

AI capability3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• One Book, One CoastcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 April 2026San Rafael Public Library joined One Book, One Coast, the West Coast's largest book club connecting communities across California, Oregon, and Washington with 130+ library systems. The initiative connected readers around the book 'They Called Us Enemy' by George Takei.
• ESCOM (Emeritus Students of the College of Marin)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 March 2026ESCOM partnered with the library to present a free two-part AI Basics workshop series introducing artificial intelligence to beginners, with 116 total attendees across both sessions.
• CalifacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 December 2025Califa expanded Zip Books to include eBooks and eAudiobooks. Califa reviews patron requests weekly, purchases eligible titles, and notifies patrons when items are available through the Palace Project app.
• Marin County Free Library (MCFL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Marin County Free Library for the Student MyCard program, joint events such as Read With Pride Festival, and collaborative collection access through the MARINet catalog system. MCFL also provides the Learning Bus and Bookmobile services.
• San Rafael City Schools (SRCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with San Rafael City Schools for the Student MyCard program, enabling approximately 7,200 students to use their student ID numbers as library card accounts. Library staff regularly visit schools to present on available services.
• California State LibrarycoreOthersCalifornia State Library partners with San Rafael Public Library through the Zip Books program, providing funding to bring more books directly to readers. The program is administered by the California State Library with ongoing annual state appropriation of $1 million since 2021-2022.
• Book Exchange of MarinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborated on Día del Niño event as part of the community event organized by San Rafael Public Library.
• Parent Services ProjectminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborated on Día del Niño event as part of community event organized by San Rafael Public Library.
• One TamminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborated on Día del Niño event as part of community event organized by San Rafael Public Library.
• Bay Area Discovery MuseumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborated on Día del Niño event as part of community event organized by San Rafael Public Library.
• California Film InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalifornia Film Institute partners with SRPL for film screenings including The Lake Merritt Monster and other documentary programs, providing filmmaker Q&A sessions and educational content.
• UC Marin Master GardenersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUC Marin Master Gardeners helped launch the Seed Library program, providing expertise on seed starting, planting, and gardening questions. They conduct monthly talks on various gardening topics at the Downtown Library.
• PBS/Independent LensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSan Rafael Public Library is one of over 325 communities hosting Indie Lens Pop-Up documentary screenings, including films like The Inquisitor, The Librarians, and The Tallest Dwarf with filmmaker Q&As.
• Love is the Answer (LITA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNonprofit partnership for Valentines for Older Adults program where children create valentines that are distributed by LITA to partner skilled nursing facilities.
• American Library AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe American Library Association provides the Free Pass that enabled Supervising Librarian Shani Boyd to attend the Feria Internacional del Libro de Guadalajara (FIL), the world's largest Spanish-language book fair.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Los Angeles Public Library: Largest US public library system by population served. Operates as a broad incumbent in the same industry with a much larger branch footprint, collection, and budget; useful for understanding scale economics of public library operations.
• New York Public Library: Major national benchmark for public library systems with extensive programming, branch network, and digital services. Comparable as an institutional peer in mission and service design, though at dramatically larger scale.
• Library Systems & Services (LSS): Private-sector library management company that contracts with municipalities and counties to operate public library systems. Relevant as a private-market comparable for outsourced library operations and as a potential alternative service-delivery model.

Direct peers

• Marin County Free Library: County-level public library system serving Marin County with multiple branches. Already a strategic partner of SRPL via MARINet shared catalog, Student MyCard collaboration, and joint events such as Read With Pride Festival — the most directly comparable peer given overlapping geography and shared patron base.
• Oakland Public Library: Bay Area urban public library serving a comparable diverse, multilingual population. Similar scope of services including branches, digital lending, adult literacy, and youth programming.
• San Francisco Public Library: Neighboring major municipal public library system serving San Francisco. Comparable in offering structure (branches, digital lending, programs) and serves a similar Bay Area urban-suburban population with multilingual and community programming.
• Berkeley Public Library: Bay Area municipal library serving a similar urban-suburban California population. Comparable in branch model, programming diversity, and emphasis on community engagement and equity-focused services.

Regional players

• Larkspur Public Library: Small Marin County municipal library. Operates in the same county as SRPL and shares MARINet catalog access, but at a smaller single-branch scale; useful as a size-comparable peer.
• Contra Costa County Library: East Bay county library system with multiple branches and shared digital services. Comparable California public library offering similar collections, programming, and interlibrary loan infrastructure to Bay Area patrons.
• Mill Valley Public Library: Small Marin County municipal library. Shares geographic market and MARINet infrastructure with SRPL; comparable in scale and service mix, useful as a small-municipal peer benchmark.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sanrafaellibraryrec
• Instagraminstagram.com/sanrafaellibraryrec
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/san-rafael-public-library

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 San Rafael Public Library