The Norwich Public Library Association

What The Norwich Public Library Association does

The Norwich Public Library Association is an incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofit public library serving the town of Norwich, Vermont, and surrounding Upper Valley region. It provides traditional library lending, digital resource access, community programming, and targeted outreach services to local residents and workers. The library functions as a community hub, averaging approximately 950 weekly visitors and delivering 200+ programs per year, with named services for children, teens, adults, seniors, homebound patrons, and individuals with memory loss. It operates from a single physical location at 368 Main St., with a Community Room (capacity 40), dedicated Youth Services space, and an Outreach Program delivering materials twice monthly to homebound Norwich residents.

The library's core offerings span physical collections (books, large print, audiobooks on CD, DVDs, music CDs, magazines, puzzles, games) and an unconventional Library of Things program that lends fitness equipment, cooking tools, technology items, and toys such as American Girl dolls. Digital infrastructure centers on the Aspen Online Catalog (Koha-based) and Aspen LiDA mobile app, integrated with major library platforms: OverDrive/Libby and Palace Project for ebooks and audiobooks (via the Green Mountain Library Consortium), Kanopy with Qello Concerts and IndieFlix for streaming video, biblio+ for unlimited streaming, Project Gutenberg (60,000+ free titles), and the Vermont Online Library databases. Additional services include interlibrary loan through CLoVER, museum passes to 10+ Vermont museums and state parks, the Memory Café program, Youth Services programming (Storytime, LEGO Tuesdays, summer reading), tech help appointments, and access to Udemy via Gale, Great Courses, and Peterson's Test and Career Prep. The library participates in the OneCard network of 20+ Vermont Upper Valley libraries for cross-borrowing.

Revenue is structured as a hybrid public-private model. Approximately 70% of operating costs are funded through Norwich town appropriation subject to voter approval on the town ballot, with the remaining ~30% raised through the Annual Fund campaign (goal $103,500), grants (including IMLS funding), securities donations, and tiered giving (Book Lover up to $100 through Fiddleheads Circle $2,500+), processed via Network for Good, PayPal, and Venmo (@NorwichPublicVT). Non-resident patrons pay subscription fees ($103 per family or $35 per senior 65+, effective July 1, 2025) for library cards. All standard services are provided free to Norwich residents and workers. The library is governed by a Board of Trustees (President Marc Aquila, Vice President Julia Lau, Treasurer Megan Tompkins, Secretary Marisa Lorenzo, plus additional trustees) and led by Director Lucinda Walker and Assistant Director Lisa Milchman, supported by an 8-person staff and the Friends of the Norwich Public Library volunteer organization.

Name

The Norwich Public Library Association

Legal name

Norwich Public Library

Website

https://norwichlibrary.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1880

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Norwich Public Library Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public library serving Norwich, Vermont residents with physical and digital collections, community programming, outreach delivery, and specialized services for youth, seniors, and memory-care patrons.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Libraries and Archives (519210)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC), Library-Based Learning Programs (Public Libraries) (EDAAAFAA), Interlibrary Loan (ILL) & Resource Sharing Operations (EDAEAGAK), Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Library card access
• Community programming
• Digital lending services
• Interlibrary loan

Headquarters

HQ city

Norwich

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, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Town Funding: Norwich Public Library is an incorporated library that requests partial funding through the town of Norwich, with Norwich voters holding the power to approve or not approve the budget through a town ballot process. Town funding covers approximately 70% of operating costs.
2. Annual Fund Campaign: Annual fundraising campaign soliciting donations from community members to support programs, collections, and personnel. The Annual Fund goal is $103,500. Donations can be made via Network for Good, PayPal, Venmo (@NorwichPublicVT), or by mail. Monthly giving program available through Network for Good.
3. Donation Tiers: Gifts can be made at various giving levels: Book Lover (up to $100), Patron ($101-$249), Award Winner ($250-$499), First Edition ($500-$999), Rare Book ($1,000-$2,499), Fiddleheads Circle ($2,500+). Gifts may be dedicated in honor or memory of individuals.
4. Grants: Funding received through grants to support specific programs, collections, and initiatives including federal funding through IMLS for interlibrary loan, Summer Reading Program, and facility improvements.
5. Non-Resident Library Cards: Non-Norwich residents can obtain library cards for a fee. As of July 1, 2025, fees are $103.00 per family for non-residents and $35.00 for non-Norwich seniors (65+).
6. Securities and Stock Donations: Gifts of securities or stocks accepted, providing tax benefits to donors while avoiding capital gains taxes, supporting the library's mission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Norwich Public Library Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public library providing free physical and digital collections, library cards, community programming, and outreach services to Norwich, Vermont residents and workers. Its offerings include books, audiobooks, magazines, streaming media (Kanopy, biblio+, Libby/OverDrive), a Library of Things, museum passes, interlibrary loan, youth services, adult programs, and a community room, supported by an Aspen integrated library system and regional network partnerships.

Product overview

The Norwich Public Library Association operates as an incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofit public library providing traditional and innovative resources through a unified service model. The core offerings include physical library collections (books, DVDs, audiobooks, magazines, puzzles, games) and the Library of Things equipment lending program. Digital services are delivered through multiple integrated platforms: OverDrive/Libby and Palace Project for ebooks and audiobooks, Kanopy with Qello Concerts and IndieFlix for streaming video, and biblio+ for additional streaming content. The library's digital infrastructure centers on the Aspen Online Catalog and Aspen LiDA mobile app for account management. Additional services include museum passes, interlibrary loan via CLoVER and OneCard networks connecting to 20+ Vermont libraries, youth programming (storytime, LEGO programs, reading challenges), outreach delivery, community room rentals, tech help, and access to databases including Vermont Online Library, Consumer Reports, Project Gutenberg, and career/educational platforms (Udemy, Great Courses, Peterson's). The library serves approximately 950 visitors weekly and operates as a federal depository library.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Free Library Card for Norwich Residents

Quantifiable outcome

• 950+ weekly visitors (average)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration19 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OneCard Network LibrariescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNPL participates in the OneCard network of Vermont Upper Valley libraries, allowing patrons to use their NPL card at 19+ participating libraries including Ascutney, Bradford, Brownsville/West Windsor, Chelsea, East Corinth, Fairlee, Groton, Hartford, Hartland, Newbury, Post Mills, Quechee, Thetford, Tunbridge, Wells River, West Hartford, Wilder, and Windsor. Patrons can browse and borrow materials in person at these locations while holds and ILLs should be requested through NPL.
• Friends of the Norwich Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport organization that promotes library goals through community service, special projects supporting education and learning, and fundraising for special library projects. Sponsors include First Wednesdays lecture series, adult book discussion series, summer reading program, audiobook subscriptions, and New York Times subscription. Fundraising events include Bread & Soup To Go, Annual Mother's Day Plant Sale, Pop-Up Book Sales, and Annual Children's Art Calendar.
• Vermont Department of LibrariescoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides access to Vermont Online Library databases,Beanstack reading challenge platform, interlibrary loan courier services, and various state library programs and resources.
• Vermont Museums (Museum Pass Program)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMuseum passes available for lending through NPL include: American Precision Museum (Windsor), Billings Farm and Museum (Woodstock), ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain (Burlington), Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium (St. Johnsbury), Shelburne Farms, Vermont History Museum (Montpelier), Vermont Granite Museum (Barre), Vermont Institute of Natural Science (Quechee), Vermont State Historic Sites, and Vermont State Parks.
• Green Mountain Library Consortium (GMLC)coreTechnology or IntegrationConsortium providing access to OverDrive and Libby platforms for ebook and audiobook lending across Vermont libraries.
• KanopycoreTechnology or IntegrationStreaming video service providing access to indie films, documentaries, foreign films, popular cinema, children's shows, and Great Courses Series. Patrons receive 7 play credits monthly.
• biblio+coreTechnology or IntegrationStreaming video service offering films, TV series, and documentaries with unlimited viewing. Available free with library account.
• Vermont HumanitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on Reading & Discussion Series, providing literary programs and discussions led by Professor Emerita of English from Dartmouth College.
• Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpert presenters for educational programs such as 'Birds Are Dinosaurs' program teaching about dinosaur evolution into birds.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Bradford Public Library: Vermont public library participating in the OneCard Network with NPL, serving a small Orange County community. Comparable in size, funding model, and service mix.
• Woodstock Town Library: Vermont public library serving the Woodstock community with comparable collections, programming, and ILL participation. Operates as a same-state peer with similar funding dynamics (town appropriation plus fundraising).
• Thetford Library: Vermont public library and OneCard Network peer that serves a small rural community comparable to Norwich. Operates with similar traditional lending, programming, and ILL services.
• Chelsea Public Library: Small Vermont public library participating in the OneCard Network with NPL. Operates with comparable collections, ILL participation, and rural-community service model.
• Hartland Public Library: Vermont public library that participates in the OneCard Network with NPL, serving a small Vermont town with comparable collections and programming. Direct consortium peer with overlapping patron access.
• Lebanon Public Libraries: Public library system in Lebanon, NH serving a small-city community in the Upper Valley. Comparable in programming scope, digital service offerings, and regional patron overlap with NPL.
• Hanover Public Library: Public library serving Hanover, NH — a small-town community library comparable in size, mission, and operating model to NPL. Provides overlapping services (collections, programs, ILL, digital lending) to a similar demographic.
• Howe Library: Public library in Hanover, NH serving a comparable small-town/college-adjacent community with similar traditional and digital lending, programming, and outreach services. Operates as a direct geographic and operational peer to NPL across the Connecticut River.
• Kilton Public Library: Public library in Lebanon, NH serving a similarly sized Upper Valley community with traditional lending, digital services, and community programming. Geographic and operational peer to NPL within the Upper Valley.

Broad incumbents

• Vermont Department of Libraries: State library agency that supports NPL through Vermont Online Library databases, Beanstack, ILL courier services, and grants. Operates at a broader (statewide) scale rather than as a single community library, providing shared services and policy coordination.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/NorwichPubLib
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCQvljS7l0UGBTcH0AsMgRMw
• Facebookfacebook.com/norwichpublib
• Instagraminstagram.com/norwichpublib
• Pinterestpinterest.com/NorwichPubLib
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/norwich-public-library

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 The Norwich Public Library Association