Photo: ONUnicorn · CC BY-SA 4.0Sweetser has no public library of its own; the nearest is Swayzee Public Library in Swayzee, 5.4 miles away
Sweetser doesn’t have a public library of its own. The closest is Swayzee Public Library in Swayzee, 5.4 miles away. Many small-town libraries give cards to neighbors, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead.
–Civic lifeNot graded: fewer than two of the three inputsGetting a library card from Sweetser
Sweetser borrows from the libraries next door
Sweetser has no public library of its own, but four libraries are within 10 miles, the closest being Swayzee Public Library in Swayzee (5.4 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
Swayzee Public Library is nearest, open about 24 hours a week. Marion Public Library, 5.6 miles away, is open about 55 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 Sweetser’s civic life grade
Sweetser isn’t graded on civic life: it has no public library of its own and the volunteering estimate doesn’t cover enough of it.
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 →
2 community nonprofits are registered in Sweetser
1.9 per 1,000 residents, against a U.S. town median of 3.7. The largest group: human services.
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 (2 here), since whether a church registers depends on its denomination, not the town.
The closest is 5.4 miles away
Closest first, measured from the center of Sweetser. 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 Sweetser
Does Sweetser have a public library?
No. The closest is Swayzee Public Library in Swayzee, 5.4 miles from the town center. Many libraries give cards to people from neighboring towns, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead.
What is Sweetser’s civic life grade?
Sweetser isn’t graded on civic life: it has no public library of its own and the volunteering estimate doesn’t cover enough of it. How it works.
Book talk
Reading, story times and the library in Sweetser.
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.