Photo: craig Cloutier from Boston, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0Elmdale has no public library of its own; the nearest is Cottonwood Falls/Burnley Memorial in Cottonwood Falls, 5.6 miles away
Elmdale doesn’t have a public library of its own. The closest is Cottonwood Falls/Burnley Memorial in Cottonwood Falls, 5.6 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 residentsLibraries for Elmdale, in brief
Elmdale borrows from the libraries next door
Elmdale has no public library of its own, but Cottonwood Falls/Burnley Memorial is 5.6 miles away in Cottonwood Falls. 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
Cottonwood Falls/Burnley Memorial is nearest, open about 16 hours a week. Marion City Library, 20 miles away, is open about 39 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 Elmdale’s civic life grade
Elmdale 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 5.6 miles away
Closest first, measured from the center of Elmdale. 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 Elmdale
Does Elmdale have a public library?
No. The closest is Cottonwood Falls/Burnley Memorial in Cottonwood Falls, 5.6 miles from the town center. Many libraries give cards to people from neighboring towns, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead.
What is Elmdale’s civic life grade?
Elmdale 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 Elmdale.
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.