Photo: Quentin Melson · CC BY-SA 4.0Birdseye’s library is a branch of Jasper-Dubois County Contractual Public Library, which lends more per resident than 89% of systems its size
Birdseye’s library is the Birdseye Branch, a branch of Jasper-Dubois County Contractual Public Library, which serves 33,733 people and lent 428K items last year.
Birdseye’s library, in brief
Three times the programs of a typical library its size
The Jasper-Dubois County Contractual Public Library system ran 1,469 programs last year, about 28 a week. That’s 44 per 1,000 residents, against a typical 14. People show up: 34,000 attended. Kids & programs ↓
One of the busiest library systems its size
The Jasper-Dubois County Contractual Public Library system logs 6.2 visits per resident, against a typical 2.6 for libraries serving 25,000 to 100,000 people, and lends 9.6 print items per resident against a typical 3.7. On both counts it beats 89% of similar-size libraries across the U.S. How it compares ↓
More than half the print loans are for kids
Children’s books and media are 58% of print loans, and kids’ borrowing per resident is higher than at 92% of similar-size libraries. Kids & programs ↓
Open only about 14 hours a week
The Birdseye branch keeps short hours: about 14 a week, averaged over the year, so check its schedule before you go. The building ↓
Big on e-books and audiobooks
Digital borrowing runs 3.1 e-items per resident, against a typical 1.2, higher than at 88% of similar-size libraries. It’s 24% of all loans. What people borrow ↓
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; Birdseye’s library is a branch of Jasper-Dubois County Contractual Public Library, so they cover the whole system (33,733 people), not just the Birdseye branch.
What’s behind Birdseye’s civic life grade
Birdseye 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 →
About 12 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.
Ahead of most similar-size libraries on all 8 measures
Per resident, against libraries serving 25,000 to 100,000 people across the U.S.
Jasper-Dubois County Contractual Public Library serves 33,733 people, so it’s measured against U.S. libraries serving 25,000 to 100,000.
Every hour the doors are open, about 45 items go out
Fiscal year 2024, for the whole Jasper-Dubois County Contractual Public Library system. The library’s own count.
More than half the print loans are kids’ books
428K loans last year: print, kids’ and digital.
103,620 e-books, e-audiobooks and streams last year. Borrow from home with your card, plus research databases: courses, journals, genealogy and more.
Find it
Birdseye Branch, 100 South State Road 145, Birdseye.
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 Jasper-Dubois County Contractual Public Library branch.
New in Birdseye? 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 $2.97 worth
Set what you’d borrow in a month. It starts at what the average Birdseye cardholder borrows.
Typical for a library this size: $40. Operating budget $2.3M.
Last year the library lent and hosted about $6.8M worth of books, e-books, programs and Wi-Fi on a $2.3M 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 14,126 cardholders ÷ 12.
What this data can and can’t tell you
From the Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024.
- System-wide. Birdseye Branch is one branch of Jasper-Dubois County Contractual Public Library, so the yearly numbers cover every branch and all 33,733 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 Birdseye
Does Birdseye have a public library?
Yes: Birdseye Branch, 100 South State Road 145, is a branch of Jasper-Dubois County Contractual Public Library, which serves 33,733 people. The branch is open about 14 hours a week, averaged over the year.
Is Jasper-Dubois County Contractual Public Library 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 Birdseye’s library?
It logged 6.2 visits and lent 12.7 items per resident in 2024, against a typical 2.6 visits for libraries serving 25,000 to 100,000 people.
What is Birdseye’s civic life grade?
Birdseye 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 Birdseye.
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.