Smith River’s library is a branch of Del Norte County Library District, which lends less per resident than 88% of systems its size
Smith River’s library is the Smith River Branch, a branch of Del Norte County Library District, which serves 26,345 people and lent 27K items last year.
Smith River’s library, in brief
Programs are almost all for children
84% of the 667 programs last year were for ages 11 and under, including about 1.5 a week for ages 0–5. Kids & programs ↓
Open only about 19 hours a week
The Smith River branch keeps short hours: about 19 a week, averaged over the year, so check its schedule before you go. The building ↓
California pays a big share
25% of the budget comes from the state, and 74% from local taxes. Nationally, most library money is local. What your card is worth ↓
Runs on less money than most
The Del Norte County Library District system spends $13 per resident, less than 92% of similar-size libraries (typical: $40). What your card is worth ↓
This summary is written from the numbers on this page. Numbers are the library’s own report to the Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024; Smith River’s library is a branch of Del Norte County Library District, so they cover the whole system (26,345 people), not just the Smith River branch.
What’s behind Smith River’s civic life grade
Smith River isn’t graded on civic life: TownRatings grades towns of 1,000 residents or more.
Civic life counts registered nonprofits, library visits and online volunteering groups, so it can miss civic life that runs through congregations, mutual aid or neighbors looking out for each other.
Library visits: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024. Nonprofits: IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File, October 2026. Volunteering: Social Capital Atlas (Opportunity Insights), from data by Meta Platforms, Inc.; Chetty et al., Nature 2022. How TownRatings grades civic life →
Ahead of most similar-size libraries on 2 of 6 measures
Per resident, against libraries serving 25,000 to 100,000 people across the U.S.
Del Norte County Library District serves 26,345 people, so it’s measured against U.S. libraries serving 25,000 to 100,000.
Every hour the doors are open, about 8 items go out
Fiscal year 2024, for the whole Del Norte County Library District system. The library’s own count.
Not reported for 2024: visits. The survey fills a missing figure with its own estimate; we leave estimates out rather than show them as the library’s count.
Books and media off the shelf
27K print loans last year. The library didn’t report its e-book and e-audiobook loans.
Borrow from home with your card, plus research databases: courses, journals, genealogy and more.
About 11 kids’ programs a week
Story times, clubs, classes and events, across the whole system, by who they’re for.
Programs last year by age group
story times and programs a week for ages 0–5, on average.
Find it
Smith River Branch, 241 First St., Smith River.
No late fees. E-books and audiobooks from home. Loans renew on their own if no one’s waiting. Research databases: courses, journals, genealogy. Good at every Del Norte County Library District branch.
New in Smith River? The Handbook →Hours are the survey’s yearly average. Check the library’s own site for today’s hours.
For every $1 it spends, the library lends about $1.25 worth
Set what you’d borrow in a month. It starts at what the average Smith River cardholder borrows.
Typical for a library this size: $40. Operating budget $337K.
Last year the library lent and hosted about $423K worth of books, e-books, programs and Wi-Fi on a $337K budget.
Fine-free. No late fees on books returned late.
Retail prices are typical, rounded down: a new book $17, a kids’ book $12, an e-book or e-audiobook $15, a movie rental $4, a class or program $10, a computer or Wi-Fi session $3. The average cardholder’s month = the library’s yearly loans, attendance and Wi-Fi sessions ÷ its 13,882 cardholders ÷ 12.
What this data can and can’t tell you
From the Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024.
- Not reported for 2024: visits. Del Norte County Library District didn’t report visits; the survey’s estimate is its own, so we leave it out and never rank it.
- Digital loans not reported. The library didn’t report e-book loans, so borrowing here is print only.
- System-wide. Smith River Branch is one branch of Del Norte County Library District, so the yearly numbers cover every branch and all 26,345 people it serves.
Hours are the survey’s yearly average; libraries are compared with others serving about as many people. How TownRatings uses library figures →
Questions about the library and civic life in Smith River
Does Smith River have a public library?
Yes: Smith River Branch, 241 First St., is a branch of Del Norte County Library District, which serves 26,345 people. The branch is open about 19 hours a week, averaged over the year.
Is Del Norte County Library District fine-free? Does it lend e-books?
Yes to both: no late fees, and e-books, audiobooks and research databases with a card (the library’s 2024 survey report).
How busy is Smith River’s library?
It lent 1.0 items per resident in 2024 (print) and ran 667 programs that drew 1,737 people. Visits weren’t reported for 2024.
What is Smith River’s civic life grade?
Smith River isn’t graded on civic life: TownRatings grades towns of 1,000 residents or more. How it works.
Book talk
Reading, story times and the library in Smith River.
Libraries: Institute of Museum and Library Services, Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024. Each library reports its own numbers. Distances are straight-line from the town center. “What your card is worth” uses typical retail prices and is an estimate, not an official figure.