sandhill regional library system

What sandhill regional library system does

Sandhill Regional Library System (SRLS) is a tax-supported regional public library system established in 1962, serving Anson, Hoke, Montgomery, Moore, and Richmond counties in North Carolina. SRLS operates 15 physical branch libraries and 3 bookmobiles, providing free access to physical book collections, digital resources (eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines, streaming media), public computers, WiFi, research assistance, and educational/community programming to all residents within the five-county service area. The system is governed by a Board of Trustees with county representation (chaired by George Vann, vice chair Lynn Epps) and funded through county appropriations, state library funding, and federal grants, with no fees charged for any service.

The technology backbone rests on consortium-based shared infrastructure rather than proprietary systems: Springshare LibGuides CMS for the website, NC Cardinal for the shared online catalog spanning all five counties, and NC LIVE for statewide digital resource access (25,000+ eBooks, 9,000+ periodicals). Content delivery is provided through best-of-breed third-party platforms — OverDrive (with dedicated Kids/Teens eReading Rooms via Libby), Hoopla for streaming media, Freading, Open Library, NC Kids Digital Library, and the recently launched LOTE4Kids multilingual children's platform. Operational programs include StudentAccess (automatic eCards for all public school students and teachers), Summer Reading via the ReadSquared mobile and web app, Digital Navigators computer training classes, Internet Backpack WiFi hotspot lending, bookmobile outreach to schools/daycares/nursing homes, and specialized genealogy resources through Ancestry Library Edition.

The business model is freemium by structural necessity: all services are free at point of use, no overdue fees apply to digital cards (eCards), and physical library cards are also free. Revenue flows exclusively from public-sector appropriations and grants. The customer base spans five county populations ranging from young children (pre-K through elementary) and K-12 students through adults, genealogists, and senior citizens. SRLS reports no headcount or financial figures publicly; the operation has accumulated 20+ state and national awards over its 63-year history, including the ALA Allie Beth Martin Award for Library Excellence (Director) and multiple Trustee of the Year recognitions.

Name

sandhill regional library system

Legal name

Sandhill Regional Library System

Website

https://srls.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Sandhill Regional Library System is a tax-supported regional public library serving Anson, Hoke, Montgomery, Moore, and Richmond counties in North Carolina through 15 branch libraries and 3 bookmobiles, providing free physical and digital resources to residents via consortium-based shared catalog and digital platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Rockingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Library Services (Tax-Supported): As a regional public library system, SRLS operates as a free public service funded through a combination of county appropriations, state library funding, and potentially federal grants. All library services including physical book checkout, digital resources, programs, and computer access are provided free of charge to residents of Anson, Hoke, Montgomery, Moore, and Richmond counties in North Carolina.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SRLS is a regional public library consortium providing free physical and digital library services across five North Carolina counties. Core offerings include book lending, digital eBooks/eAudiobooks/eMagazines, online databases, public computer/WiFi access, summer reading programs, children's storytimes, genealogy research resources, bookmobile services, and educational partnerships with public schools—all delivered at no charge to residents.

Product overview

Sandhill Regional Library System is a regional public library consortium serving five counties (Anson, Hoke, Montgomery, Moore, and Richmond) in North Carolina with 15 branch libraries and 3 bookmobiles. The system operates a unified catalog (NC Cardinal) and offers a comprehensive portfolio of digital services including OverDrive/Libby eBooks and eAudiobooks, Hoopla streaming media, NC Live databases, Freading, Open Library, and NC Kids Digital Library. Key programs include StudentAccess (automatic library accounts for public school students), the Summer Reading Program via ReadSquared, LOTE4Kids multilingual children's content, Internet Backpack WiFi lending, Digital Navigators computer training, and mobile bookmobile services. The physical network provides traditional library materials, public computers, WiFi access, and specialized genealogy resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Library Catalog (NC Cardinal OPAC) Online public access catalog enabling patrons to search, reserve, and manage library materials across 15 branches and 3 bookmobiles, served by the NC Cardinal shared catalog system.
• eCard / Digital Library Card Free digital card providing immediate same-day access to NC LIVE, OverDrive, Freading, Open Library, and digital magazines with no overdue fees.
• StudentAccess Program Partnership with public schools in Anson, Hoke, Montgomery, Moore, and Richmond Counties that automatically provides all public school students and teachers with free eCard accounts for 24/7 access to databases, eBooks, and digital audiobooks.
• Summer Reading Program Annual reading challenge using the ReadSquared platform, available via web and mobile apps (iOS/Android), promoting reading engagement for children, teens, and adults across all SRLS locations.
• Internet Backpack Program Lending program providing portable WiFi hotspots for checkout, enabling patrons to access internet connectivity outside the library.
• Bookmobile Services Mobile library services operating in Anson, Moore, and Richmond counties, providing books, best-sellers, large print, children's books, books-on-CD, periodicals, and DVDs to community stops including daycares, schools, nursing homes, and neighborhoods on scheduled routes.
• Digital Navigators Computer Classes Free computer training classes covering digital literacy skills, with monthly class offerings and registration via QR code, flyer, or phone.
• ABCmouse.com Access

Quantifiable outcome

• Free eCard accounts provided to all public school students and teachers in 5 counties
• +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

Integration12 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Public Schools (Anson, Hoke, Montgomery, Moore & Richmond Counties)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudentAccess initiative partnership between SRLS and public schools in each of the five served counties. All public school students and teachers automatically receive free eCard accounts with 24/7 access to databases, eBooks, and digital audiobooks. Students can access resources from anywhere at any time.
• NC LIVEcoreTechnology or IntegrationStatewide library cooperative providing access to over 25,000 eBook titles, 9,000+ newspapers/journals/magazines, 20,000+ periodical indexing, and 22,000+ electronic books. SRLS participates as a member library in this North Carolina consortium.
• NC Cardinal (Shared Catalog Consortium)coreTechnology or IntegrationNC Cardinal is a shared catalog system allowing SRLS and other participating libraries to share resources, enabling patrons to search and request materials across multiple library systems through a unified online catalog.
• LOTE4KidscoreTechnology or IntegrationDatabase of children's eBooks and audiobooks in various world languages. The platform offers thousands of books in over 65 languages, with 150-200 new books and new languages added monthly. Books are paired with English translations for language learning.
• NC Kids Digital Library ConsortiumcoreTechnology or IntegrationFirst-of-its-kind statewide eBook consortium specifically designed for children pre-K through fourth grade. SRLS provides access to 3,029 eBooks, 689 audiobooks and 37 streaming videos through this partnership.
• ReadSquaredcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline summer reading program platform with mobile app (available in Apple App Store and Google Play) that tracks reading participation across all SRLS library locations.
• OverDrivecoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital media platform providing eBooks, eAudiobooks, and eMagazines. SRLS offers dedicated Kids and Teens eReading Rooms within the OverDrive platform.
• HooplacoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital media service allowing patrons to borrow movies, music, audiobooks, ebooks, comics and TV shows. Titles can be streamed immediately or downloaded for offline use.
• Friends of Library OrganizationscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal Friends of Library groups supporting individual library branches: Friends of Moore County Library, Friends of Thomas Leath Memorial Library, Friends of Hamlet Public Library, Friends of Aberdeen Library, and Hampton B. Allen Friends of the Library. These organizations provide volunteer support, fundraising, and advocacy.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Charlotte Mecklenburg Library: Regional public library system serving Mecklenburg County, NC with 20 branches. Highly comparable as another NC regional library of similar geographic breadth, sharing consortia (NC Cardinal, NC LIVE) and serving overlapping population needs.
• Forsyth County Public Library: Public library system serving Forsyth County, NC with multiple branches. Direct peer as a fellow NC regional library participating in NC Cardinal and offering comparable digital services (OverDrive, Hoopla) and community programming.
• Wake County Public Libraries: Large NC county library system with 22 branches. Comparable regional library peer sharing NC consortia infrastructure, with similar program offerings (storytimes, summer reading, digital resources) and student outreach models.
• Durham County Library: NC county library system offering books, digital resources, and community programming. Comparable as a fellow NC public library leveraging shared statewide consortia (NC Cardinal, NC LIVE) and similar educational programming.
• Cumberland County Public Library: NC regional library system in southeastern NC serving Cumberland County with multiple branches. Directly comparable as a regional NC public library system with similar funding model and digital service mix.

Regional players

• Piedmont Regional Library System: Regional library system serving multiple counties in Georgia. Highly comparable multi-county regional library model, offering the same combination of physical branches, digital resources, and community programming under a unified administrative structure.

Broad incumbents

• Houston Public Library: Large urban public library system with 40+ locations. Broader incumbent in the same industry offering a comparable suite of digital resources (eBooks, streaming, databases), community programming, and free public access services.
• Broward County Library: Large Florida county library system with 30+ branches. Comparable established public library system offering similar digital lending platforms, multilingual resources, and community programming in a multi-branch regional footprint.
• Brooklyn Public Library: Major urban library system in NYC serving 2.7M residents. Comparable in offering free digital resources, eCard programs, multilingual collections, and student outreach programs, though at substantially larger scale.

Others

• NC LIVE: Statewide NC library cooperative providing shared digital resources (eBooks, periodicals, databases) to member libraries including SRLS. Functionally a partner and infrastructure provider rather than direct competitor, but represents the consortia layer that enables SRLS's digital offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sandhillregionallibrarysystem
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/montgomery-county-public-library

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about sandhill regional library system