What Herrick District Library does

Herrick District Library is a public library district serving Holland, Michigan and portions of Laketown, Holland, and Park Townships in Ottawa County. It operates two physical locations — the Main Library at 300 South River Avenue (with a 175-seat auditorium, 46-seat classroom, 11 study rooms, 3 teen study rooms, Lego Lab, and Groundworks maker space) and the North Branch at 155 Riley Street (with a 77-seat community room, 3 study rooms, kids/teens study rooms, and a seed library) — and a digital library accessible remotely. The library offers physical and digital collections (books, movies, games, eBooks, eAudiobooks, streaming video, digital newspapers via Libby, Hoopla, Kanopy, PressReader, and New York Times digital access), specialized research resources (Ancestry Library Edition, American Ancestors, MyHeritage, Weiss Financial Ratings, Transparent Language, BrainFuse tutoring), and a portfolio of community services including a maker space (Groundworks), Library of Things, Seed Library, Book Group to Go kits, Books by Mail pilot for homebound patrons, and tech help in English and Spanish. The library uses BiblioCommons for catalog and patron account management and Springshare (LibCal) for event and room reservations, and operates as a member of the Lakeland Library Cooperative.

Herrick District Library is structured as a municipal government entity — a non-profit public library district — not a commercial enterprise. It is governed by a publicly appointed Board of Trustees and is primarily funded through tax revenues from its four-member service area. Library cards and all standard services (borrowing, digital access, meeting rooms, technology assistance, programs) are provided free of charge to residents of the service area, with no pricing tiers or revenue model tied to patron fees. Supplemental funding and operational support come through the Friends of the Library organization, the Used Book Store, and donations, but these are not primary funding sources.

The library's strategic emphasis is on equity of access, addressing the digital divide, and serving as a community hub beyond traditional book lending. Recent programmatic activity (2025) includes the launch of Books by Mail for homebound patrons, Spanish-language tech help, on-site Community Action House outreach for social-service navigation, and partnerships with organizations such as Lighthouse Immigrant Advocates, LAUP, Intersection Ministries, and Out on the Lakeshore. Distribution is multi-modal: two retail-style physical locations, a self-serve digital platform stack, and remote-access services such as curbside pickup and a 24-hour book drop. Marketing and community engagement are executed via Facebook (Main Library and North Branch pages), Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shorts (Cardigan Chronicles), an email newsletter, and a staff-authored blog.

Name

Herrick District Library

Legal name

Herrick District Library

Website

https://herrickdl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Herrick District Library is a public library district operating two locations in Holland, Michigan, providing free physical and digital lending, maker-space access, tutoring, tech help, and community programming to residents of four Ottawa County townships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

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

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)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Community lending programs
• Digital media lending
• Local history archives
• Children's library programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Holland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Herrick District Library is a public library district providing free access to physical and digital library materials, community programming, maker space resources, and local history/genealogy collections to residents of Holland, Michigan and surrounding townships. The organization operates two physical branches and supplements in-person services with digital platforms, curbside pickup, and mail-based delivery for broader reach.

Product overview

Herrick District Library is a public library system serving Holland, MI with two physical locations (Main Library and North Branch) and a comprehensive digital presence. The library offers a unified service portfolio centered on information access, learning, and community engagement. Core offerings include physical and digital collections (books, movies, games, eBooks, streaming video via Kanopy, digital audiobooks via Libby/Hoopla), maker and creative technology services through Groundworks (3D printing, recording studio, fabric cutting), specialized research collections (Genealogy & Local History with Ancestry access), and community support programs (BrainFuse tutoring, Books by Mail for homebound patrons, Tech Help including Spanish-language assistance). Additional services include reservable meeting/study rooms, Library of Things equipment lending, Seed Library, and outreach partnerships with Community Action House. The library uses BiblioCommons for catalog and patron accounts, and Springshare for event/room reservations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Library Card Membership
• Physical Book and Media Lending
• Digital Resource Access
• Groundworks Maker Space
• Community Programs and Events

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, standard and minor.

• Lakeland Library CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHDL is a member of the Lakeland Library Cooperative, a consortium of libraries in the region that shares resources, eResources, and collaborates on library services.
• Community Action HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Action House outreach team provides holistic case management and resource navigation at the library, including food assistance, MI Bridges, clothing, healthcare resources, Medicaid, housing resources, tax preparation, and financial education.
• BiblioCommonscoreTechnology or IntegrationHDL uses BiblioCommons platform for its website, catalog, event management, and patron account services.
• Ancestry Library Edition (ProQuest)standardTechnology or IntegrationHDL provides in-library access to Ancestry Library Edition for genealogical research.
• Libby/OverDrivecoreTechnology or IntegrationHDL provides eBooks and eAudiobooks through Libby app via OverDrive platform.
• HooplacoreTechnology or IntegrationHDL provides streaming video, music, eComics, and digital content through Hoopla platform.
• KanopystandardTechnology or IntegrationHDL provides film streaming including Kanopy Kids for children through the Kanopy platform.
• Out on the LakeshoreminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGroundworks partners with Out on the Lakeshore (LGBTQ+ youth organization) to host classes and programs for queer youth and allies.
• Lighthouse Immigrant AdvocatesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing immigrant advocacy services and resources at the library.
• LAUP (Latin Americans United for Progress)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner empowering Latinos through advocacy, celebration, and education; hosts programs at HDL.
• Intersection MinistriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing citizenship classes at the library.
• City of Holland Human Relations CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity partner promoting human relations and community inclusion programs.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Seattle Public Library: Large urban library system known for innovative digital services and community programming. Comparable as a broader incumbent demonstrating next-generation library service models.
• Hennepin County Library: Large Minnesota county library system with extensive maker spaces, digital lending, and outreach programs. Provides a broader incumbent model that HDL's Groundworks and inclusion programs resemble at a smaller scale.
• New York Public Library: Major urban library system with extensive programming, research collections, and digital lending. Broad incumbent benchmark for advanced library services and partnerships at city scale.
• Chicago Public Library: One of the largest US public library systems with extensive digital, maker, and social-service partnerships. Serves as a broad incumbent reference point for how a larger library system integrates community services.

Direct peers

• Grand Rapids Public Library: Michigan public library system serving a comparable Western Michigan urban-suburban community. Comparable in size, service portfolio, and proximity within West Michigan.
• Kent District Library: Michigan district library serving 18 municipalities with multiple branches, maker spaces, and digital lending. Highly comparable as a Michigan district library model with similar service-area governance and tax funding structure.
• Kalamazoo Public Library: Michigan public library system in a comparable-sized West Michigan city. Comparable in service scope, community programs, and patron demographics.
• Ann Arbor District Library: Michigan district library serving multiple municipalities around Ann Arbor. Directly comparable in district-library governance, tax funding, branch operations, and digital lending scope.
• Capital Area District Libraries: Michigan district library serving the Lansing area across multiple municipalities. Directly comparable as a multi-branch Michigan district library with tax-based funding and similar service offerings.
• Traverse Area District Library: Michigan district library serving the Traverse City region. Closely comparable in district-library structure and regional service-area scale, making it a strong analog for HDL's operating model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@herrickdistrictlibrary/shorts
• Facebookfacebook.com/HerrickDistrictLibrary
• Instagraminstagram.com/herrickdl
• TikToktiktok.com/@herrickdl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/herrick-district-library

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Herrick District Library