Photo: Adam Moss · CC BY-SA 2.0Tennessee has no public library of its own; the nearest is Colchester District Library in Colchester, 2.5 miles away
Tennessee doesn’t have a public library of its own. The closest is Colchester District Library in Colchester, 2.5 miles away. Many small-town libraries give cards to neighbors, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead.
–Civic lifeNot graded: fewer than 1,000 residentsGetting a library card from Tennessee
Tennessee borrows from the libraries next door
Tennessee has no public library of its own, but three libraries are within 10 miles, the closest being Colchester District Library in Colchester (2.5 miles). Many small-town libraries give cards to people from neighboring towns, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead. Nearest libraries ↓
The closest isn’t the one open longest
Colchester District Library is nearest, open about 20 hours a week. Macomb Public Library District, 9.2 miles away, is open about 49 hours a week, so it may be easier to fit in. Nearest libraries ↓
This summary is written from the numbers on this page. Distances are straight-line from the town center.
What’s behind Tennessee’s civic life grade
Tennessee 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 →
The closest is 2.5 miles away
Closest first, measured from the center of Tennessee. Each one’s hours, and whether it charges late fines.
What this data can and can’t tell you
From the Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024.
- The library’s own count. Libraries report their own visits, loans and programs. A library that didn’t respond keeps its address and hours here, with no numbers.
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 Tennessee
Does Tennessee have a public library?
No. The closest is Colchester District Library in Colchester, 2.5 miles from the town center. Many libraries give cards to people from neighboring towns, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead.
What is Tennessee’s civic life grade?
Tennessee 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 Tennessee.
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.