Photo: Nils Peterson · CC BY-SA 3.0Genesee’s library is a branch of Latah County District, which lends more per resident than 56% of systems its size
Genesee’s library is the Latah County District - Genesee, a branch of Latah County District, which serves 41,271 people and lent 250K items last year.
Genesee’s library, in brief
Open only about 18 hours a week
The Genesee branch keeps short hours: about 18 a week, averaged over the year, so check its schedule before you go. The building ↓
Most programs are for young children
73% of the 401 programs last year were for ages 11 and under, including about 4.5 a week for ages 0–5. Kids & programs ↓
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; Genesee’s library is a branch of Latah County District, so they cover the whole system (41,271 people), not just the Genesee branch.
What’s behind Genesee’s civic life grade
On community nonprofits and volunteering, Genesee is ahead of 97% of U.S. towns. Genesee is graded on two of the three inputs. Both inputs are above most U.S. towns; Genesee’s count of community nonprofits ranks highest.
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 →
10 community nonprofits are registered in Genesee
7.9 per 1,000 residents, against a U.S. town median of 3.7. The largest group: civic groups, clubs & veterans.
Community nonprofits, by kind
Counted from the IRS list of tax-exempt organizations by mailing address (fractions where a ZIP code spans towns). Congregations are counted apart (1 here), since whether a church registers depends on its denomination, not the town.
11.5%
11.5% of Genesee’s Facebook users aged 25–44 belong to a volunteering or activism group, against 8.7% in the typical Idaho town and 7.5% nationally.
Volunteering: Social Capital Atlas (Opportunity Insights), from data by Meta Platforms, Inc.; Chetty et al., Nature 2022. ZIP-code figures, weighted by where Genesee’s residents live; 2022.
Ahead of most similar-size libraries on 5 of 8 measures
Per resident, against libraries serving 25,000 to 100,000 people across the U.S.
Latah County District serves 41,271 people, so it’s measured against U.S. libraries serving 25,000 to 100,000.
Every hour the doors are open, about 30 items go out
Fiscal year 2024, for the whole Latah County District system. The library’s own count.
Mostly books and media off the shelf
250K loans last year: print, kids’ and digital.
73,717 e-books, e-audiobooks and streams last year. Borrow from home with your card, plus research databases: courses, journals, genealogy and more.
About 6 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
Latah County District - Genesee, 140 E Walnut, Genesee.
No late fees. E-books and audiobooks from home. Research databases: courses, journals, genealogy. Good at every Latah County District branch.
New in Genesee? 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 $2.22 worth
Set what you’d borrow in a month. It starts at what the average Genesee cardholder borrows.
Typical for a library this size: $40. Operating budget $1.7M.
Last year the library lent and hosted about $3.8M worth of books, e-books, programs and Wi-Fi on a $1.7M 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 16,904 cardholders ÷ 12.
What this data can and can’t tell you
From the Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024.
- System-wide. Latah County District - Genesee is one branch of Latah County District, so the yearly numbers cover every branch and all 41,271 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 Genesee
Does Genesee have a public library?
Yes: Latah County District - Genesee, 140 E Walnut, is a branch of Latah County District, which serves 41,271 people. The branch is open about 18 hours a week, averaged over the year.
Is Latah 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 Genesee’s library?
It logged 2.3 visits and lent 6.1 items per resident in 2024, against a typical 2.6 visits for libraries serving 25,000 to 100,000 people.
What is Genesee’s civic life grade?
A+ Genesee is ahead of 97% of U.S. towns on civic life. The grade combines library visits per resident, community nonprofits per 1,000 residents and the share of adults 25–44 in volunteering groups. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Book talk
Reading, story times and the library in Genesee.
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.