Louisville Public Library

What Louisville Public Library does

Louisville Public Library is a government-owned public library system serving Louisville, Ohio and Nimishillen Township, operated under Ohio state law and governed by a Board of Trustees. Its principal location is at 1600 South Nickelplate Street, with a secondary address at 700 Lincoln Avenue used for board meetings and meeting room space. The library is funded primarily through the State of Ohio's Public Library Fund (PLF), receiving $587,868.25 in 2019 (4.5% of Stark County's PLF distribution), and a 1-mill local property tax levy generating $339,153.80. It is one of 201 of Ohio's 251 public libraries that operate with a local levy. There are no investors, shareholders, or commercial funding rounds; the entity exists to deliver public-good services rather than generate profits.

The library's service portfolio extends well beyond traditional book lending. Core offerings include physical and digital lending via SirsiDynix and Libby/Overdrive; a Makerspace equipped with 3D printers, laser engravers, and a sublimation printer; the Wiseman Discovery Center, opened August 2018 as the first free, complete sensory room open to the public in the United States; Books by Mail and homebound delivery; reservable meeting and conference space (capacity 40); notary and passport acceptance services ($35 per passport application); unit-priced printing and laminating; remote print-from-device via Papercut; Discovery Passes to Ohio museums and zoos; and research databases including Ancestry Library Edition and LinkedIn Learning. Marketing channels span a website, Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, YouTube, an RSS feed, an email newsletter (PatronPoint), community partnerships with the Chamber of Commerce and local schools, and a community calendar serving the township.

The business model is predominantly tax-funded with limited fee-based and donation revenue. Most services are free with a free library card; minor unit-priced revenue comes from printing ($0.15-$1.00 per page), laminating ($0.50-$1.00), passport acceptance ($35), and notary services (free with donations accepted). Additional revenue is generated through Friends of the Library memberships ($5 to $40 tiers tied to book sale benefits) and donations/endowments processed via the Stark Community Foundation. The customer base is the general community, segmented across families, educators, homebound/disabled residents, and local small businesses, with no enterprise anchor customers and no commercial sales motion.

Name

Louisville Public Library

Legal name

Louisville Public Library

Website

https://louisvillelibrary.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Louisville Public Library is a government-funded public library serving Louisville, Ohio and Nimishillen Township with free lending, a Makerspace, a sensory room, outreach, and fee-based services like passport acceptance.

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)

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), Digital Library & Electronic Resources Operations (e-Resources, Repositories, Licensing) (EDAEAGAF)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Community lending programs
• Digital media borrowing
• Makerspace equipment access
• Sensory room programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Library Fund (PLF): State of Ohio bi-annual state budget allocation providing 1.7% of total state budget distributed to Ohio's 88 counties. Louisville Public Library received $587,868.25 in 2019, representing 4.5% of PLF distributed in Stark County.
2. Local Levy: 1 mill local levy generating $339,153.80, making up one third of the library's budget. Louisville is one of 201 out of 251 Ohio public libraries that have a local levy.
3. Fee-based Services: Revenue from business services including passport acceptance ($35 per application), printing, laminating, and notary services (free but accepts donations).
4. Donations and Endowments: Donations to the library and endowment fund through Stark Community Foundation. Gifts of $500 or more receive recognition with favorite book recommendations displayed at the library.
5. Friends of the Library Memberships: Membership levels from $5 (Youth/Senior) to $40 (Gold) with book sale benefits. Monthly used book sales held second weekend of each month.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Louisville Public Library is a government-funded public library that provides free physical and digital media lending, research databases, community programming, and specialized facilities including a Makerspace with 3D printers and laser engravers and the Wiseman Discovery Center Sensory Space. It also offers ancillary fee-based services such as notary, passport acceptance, printing, laminating, and meeting room reservations, as well as outreach through Books by Mail and Discovery Passes to Ohio museums and zoos.

Product overview

Louisville Public Library offers a unified set of public library services centered around traditional lending and community programming. The core offerings include physical and digital material lending, with integrated digital platforms like Libby for eBooks and eMedia. The library operates specialized facilities including a Makerspace with 3D printing and laser engraving capabilities, and the Wiseman Discovery Center Sensory Space for individuals with sensory needs. Additional services include notary and passport acceptance, business services (faxing, scanning, printing), remote print services, reservable meeting rooms, and community outreach through Books by Mail. Discovery Passes provide free access to Ohio museums and attractions. Research databases and local history resources support educational needs, while programs like Summer Reading and Book-a-Librarian sessions offer personalized engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wiseman Discovery Center: A sensory space designed for individuals with sensory processing disorders, autism, dementia, and learning disabilities, featuring fiber optic colors, interactive sounds, and tactile experiences.

Products and services

• Library Makerspace A learning and creating workshop providing equipment including 3D printers, laser engravers, and sublimation printer with staff instruction. Patrons pay only for materials; staff time is free.
• Wiseman Discovery Center Sensory Space A sensory room designed for individuals with sensory processing disorders, autism, dementia, and learning disabilities, featuring fiber optic colors, interactive sounds, and tactile experiences. Free with a Louisville Library Card.
• Discovery Passes Free passes to museums, zoos, and other destinations around Ohio. Passes are checked out like library materials with one-week validity.
• Book-a-Librarian Free one-on-one sessions with a librarian for in-depth questions or training beyond quick walk-in or phone assistance.
• Books by Mail Free mail delivery service for homebound patrons or those temporarily unable to visit the library. Application required.
• Business Services Fax (local and long distance), document scanning, copy and print services, and lamination available at various rates for community members and small businesses.
• Notary and Passport Services Free notary services available during most open library hours and passport acceptance appointments Monday-Thursday 10am-4pm. Library charges $35 per passport application accepted.
• Print from Your Device Remote printing service allowing patrons to upload print jobs from home and pick up at the library. Color printing $0.40/page; black & white $0.15/page.
• Meeting Room and Conference Room Free reservable spaces for community groups and non-profits. Conference room accommodates 40 people with A/V equipment available.
• Research Databases Collection of online research resources including Academic Search Premier, Ancestry Library Edition, Business Source Premier, Chilton Auto Repair, Consumer Health Complete, genealogy databases, World Book Online, and more.
• Summer Reading Program Annual 8-week reading incentive program running June through July. Participants earn tickets for prizes by reading and attending programs.
• Friends of the Library Membership Annual membership tiers (Youth/Senior $5, Bronze $10, Silver $20, Gold $40) providing book sale benefits including free books per sale day and unlimited BOGO purchases at Gold level.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cuyahoga County Public Library: One of the largest Ohio public library systems by circulation and branches. Relevant for understanding the upper bound of Ohio public-library service design and scale economics.
• Cleveland Public Library: Large Ohio urban public library system. Relevant peer for advanced programming, digital services, business outreach, and community partnerships, although operating at a fundamentally different scale and demographic.
• Dayton Metro Library: Mid-size Ohio metropolitan library with a comparable service mix including makerspace programming and digital lending. Useful peer for benchmarking what scaled-up offerings look like within the same PLF funding framework.
• Columbus Metropolitan Library: Major Ohio metropolitan library. Comparable as a same-state public library peer for funding model (PLF participation) and modern service offerings, but operates at city-scale rather than small-town scope.
• Akron-Summit County Public Library: A larger Ohio public library system operating broadly across an adjacent county. Comparable in mission and service categories (makerspace, digital lending, community programming) but at meaningfully greater scale and resource base.

Others

• Overdrive / Libby: Digital media lending platform integrated with Louisville Public Library for eBook and eMedia access. Relevant as an enabling technology partner rather than a competitor, representing how small libraries extend digital reach.
• SirsiDynix: Integrated library system (ILS) provider powering Louisville's online catalog. Ecosystem partner whose technology infrastructure underpins day-to-day library operations for thousands of public libraries.

Direct peers

• Stark Library: The principal Stark County library system (Canton and branches), sharing the same county PLF pool as Louisville. Direct peer for funding dynamics, collections, and community programming in the same geographic market.
• Massillon Public Library: Another Stark County public library competing for the same PLF distribution and serving an adjacent small Ohio city. Comparable scale, funding mix, and community-library service profile.
• Rodman Public Library: Public library in Alliance, Ohio, explicitly named as a reciprocal SEO library partner where Louisville Library cards are honored. Closest comparable in scale, mission, and service mix within the same regional consortium.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/LouisvilleLib
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCLEVvO19p06QzLxjU9vVG7w
• Facebookfacebook.com/lplibrary
• Instagraminstagram.com/louisvillepubliclibrary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/louisville-public-library

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Louisville Public Library