Photo: Original photo by National Park Service, edited by Shannon · Public domainClark Fork’s library is a branch of East Bonner County District, which lends more per resident than 92% of systems its size
Clark Fork’s library is the East Bonner County District - Clark Fork Branch, a branch of East Bonner County District, which serves 42,750 people and lent 600K items last year.
What Clark Fork’s library is like
One of the busiest library systems its size
The East Bonner County District system logs 5.1 visits per resident, against a typical 2.6 for libraries serving 25,000 to 100,000 people, and lends 11 print items per resident against a typical 3.7. On both counts it beats 88% of similar-size libraries across the U.S. How it compares ↓
A well-funded system
The East Bonner County District system spends $82 per resident a year, about twice the typical $40 for a library its size. 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; Clark Fork’s library is a branch of East Bonner County District, so they cover the whole system (42,750 people), not just the Clark Fork branch.
What’s behind Clark Fork’s civic life grade
Clark Fork 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 →
Mostly books and media off the shelf
600K loans last year: print, kids’ and digital.
110,910 e-books, e-audiobooks and streams last year. Borrow from home with your card, plus research databases: courses, journals, genealogy and more.
Ahead of most similar-size libraries on 6 of 8 measures
Per resident, against libraries serving 25,000 to 100,000 people across the U.S.
East Bonner County District serves 42,750 people, so it’s measured against U.S. libraries serving 25,000 to 100,000.
Every hour the doors are open, about 104 items go out
Fiscal year 2024, for the whole East Bonner County District system. The library’s own count.
About 5 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
East Bonner County District - Clark Fork Branch, 601 Main St., Clark Fork.
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 East Bonner County District branch.
New in Clark Fork? 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 $2.75 worth
Set what you’d borrow in a month. It starts at what the average Clark Fork cardholder borrows.
Typical for a library this size: $40. Operating budget $3.5M.
Last year the library lent and hosted about $9.6M worth of books, e-books, programs and Wi-Fi on a $3.5M 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 25,079 cardholders ÷ 12.
What this data can and can’t tell you
From the Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024.
- System-wide. East Bonner County District - Clark Fork Branch is one branch of East Bonner County District, so the yearly numbers cover every branch and all 42,750 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 Clark Fork
Does Clark Fork have a public library?
Yes: East Bonner County District - Clark Fork Branch, 601 Main St., is a branch of East Bonner County District, which serves 42,750 people. The branch is open about 44 hours a week, averaged over the year.
Is East Bonner County 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 Clark Fork’s library?
It logged 5.1 visits and lent 14.0 items per resident in 2024, against a typical 2.6 visits for libraries serving 25,000 to 100,000 people.
What is Clark Fork’s civic life grade?
Clark Fork 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 Clark Fork.
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.