Freeport Public Library

What Freeport Public Library does

Freeport Public Library is a special district public library located in Freeport, Illinois, founded in 1874 as the Young Men's Library Association and operating under Illinois state law as a tax-funded government entity. The library provides free public access to physical and digital collections, research databases, programming for all ages, meeting spaces, and accessibility services, serving the general public, youth and teens, small business owners, and local history and genealogy researchers across the Freeport community and surrounding areas. The library's product portfolio includes library card services, digital collections, interlibrary loan through the PrairieCat consortium, the Gale Small Business Suite database, federal government resources, copy/scan/fax and notary services, Print from Anywhere via PrinterOn, tech help and computer literacy training, meeting room reservations, and disability outreach supported by the Aira visual interpreter service. The technology infrastructure is built on the PrairieCat catalog and mobile app, the Streamline special-district content management system, and a published Website Accessibility Statement under ADA compliance, with a 40,000 square foot main facility opened in 2003 anchoring all in-person services. The business model is non-commercial: services are free at point of use and funded by public tax dollars, with no disclosed revenue, pricing, or external investment, and operations overseen by a Board of Trustees under a published 2024-2027 Strategic Plan.

Name

Freeport Public Library

Legal name

Freeport Public Library

Website

https://freeportpubliclibrary.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1874

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Freeport Public Library is a tax-funded Illinois special district public library serving Freeport residents with free lending collections, digital resources, research databases, youth and adult programming, and accessibility services from a single 40,000 sq ft facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Libraries and Archives (519210), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Library & Electronic Resources Operations (e-Resources, Repositories, Licensing) (EDAEAGAF), Interlibrary Loan (ILL) & Resource Sharing Operations (EDAEAGAK), Library User Services & Information Support (Reference, Research Help, Instruction Support) (EDAEAGAL), Library-Based Learning Programs (Public Libraries) (EDAAAFAA), Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Community education programs
• Digital lending collections
• Research databases access
• Interlibrary loan services

Headquarters

HQ city

Freeport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Core offering

Freeport Public Library provides free public access to physical and digital library materials, research databases, community programs, meeting spaces, and accessibility services to Freeport, Illinois residents and the surrounding community. The library operates a 40,000 square foot facility offering lending, research, technology assistance, and educational programming for all ages.

Product overview

Freeport Public Library operates as a traditional public library system offering a unified portfolio of core services. The main offerings include physical and digital material lending through library cards, digital collections, and interlibrary loan services. The library provides research resources through databases like Gale Small Business Suite and Federal Government Resources. Core patron services encompass copy/scan/fax, notary public, disability outreach, tech help and computer literacy training, and meeting room reservations. The technology infrastructure includes PrairieCat for catalog management, Print from Anywhere for remote printing, and the PrairieCat mobile app for patron account access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Library Card Services

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Chicago Public Library: One of the largest public library systems in the U.S., serving Chicago with 80+ branches. Provides an overlapping set of services (digital lending, programming, business research, accessibility) but at vastly greater scale and geographic breadth than Freeport.
• King County Library System: Washington state public library system serving multiple municipalities with overlapping services (digital lending, programs, research databases). Operates a comparable public-funding model but at greater geographic and demographic scale.
• New York Public Library: Iconic U.S. public library system with broad research, lending, and programming services. Comparable core mission and service categories, but operates at vastly greater scale, geography, and budget than a single-district Illinois library.
• Cleveland Public Library: Major urban public library offering lending, programming, digital resources, and special collections. Similar core service mix and public funding model to Freeport, but at significantly larger scale and a different regional market.
• Multnomah County Library: Oregon public library system offering comparable lending, programming, digital, and accessibility services to a county-wide population. Comparable service mix and public-funding model, though at substantially larger scale than Freeport.

Regional players

• Peoria Public Library: Public library serving Peoria, Illinois, with comparable service scope including digital collections, community programs, and local history resources. Operates under similar Illinois public library governance and shares PrairieCat-based resource sharing.
• Gail Borden Public Library District: Illinois public library district serving Elgin and surrounding communities. Functions as a comparable special-district library with similar funding model, service breadth, and programming focus in a similarly sized community.
• Rockford Public Library: Public library serving Rockford, Illinois, the nearest larger city to Freeport. Operates as a comparable municipal library district with similar service mix, lending model, and PrairieCat consortium membership, making it the most geographically and operationally comparable peer.

Others

• Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS): Illinois regional library system that supports resource sharing, continuing education, and interlibrary cooperation for member libraries including Freeport. Functions as an enabling/cooperative infrastructure provider rather than a direct competitor.
• PrairieCat Consortium: Illinois library consortium of which Freeport is a member, providing shared catalog, interlibrary loan, and mobile app infrastructure. Comparable as an enabling/e cosystem partner rather than a competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FreeportPublicLibrary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/freeport-public-library

Compliance1 record

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 Freeport Public Library