Bear Lake Township has no public library of its own; the nearest is Crawford County Library in Grayling, 9.7 miles away
Bear Lake Township doesn’t have a public library of its own. The closest is Crawford County Library in Grayling, 9.7 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 Bear Lake Township
Bear Lake Township borrows from the libraries next door
Bear Lake Township has no public library of its own, but Crawford County Library is 9.7 miles away in Grayling. Many small-town libraries give cards to people from neighboring towns, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead. Nearest libraries ↓
Bear Lake Township isn’t the only town nearby without one
Grayling Township, Oliver Township and Blue Lake Township don’t have a public library of their own either. Among the towns next door, Frederic Township (Frederic Community Library) does. Libraries next door ↓
Most nearby libraries are fine-free
Three of the four closest libraries don’t charge late fines. Nearest libraries ↓
This summary is written from the numbers on this page. Distances are straight-line from the town center.
What’s behind Bear Lake Township’s civic life grade
Bear Lake Township 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 9.7 miles away
Closest first, measured from the center of Bear Lake Township. Each one’s hours, and whether it charges late fines.
Libraries next door
Who has a library of their own, and how much each town borrows. Tap a town to see its library.
| Town | Library | Loans per resident | Hours | Civic life |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frederic Township | Frederic Community Library fine-free | — | 38 | B+ |
| Grayling Township | None of its own | — | — | A |
| Oliver Township | None of its own | — | — | — under 1,000 residents |
| Blue Lake Township | None of its own | — | — | — under 1,000 residents |
| Excelsior Township | None of its own | — | — | A− |
| Garfield Township | None of its own | — | — | B+ |
Loans = print + digital items borrowed in the library’s fiscal year, per person it serves. — = no library of its own, a county or regional system (its numbers cover many towns), or no report. Civic life: — = not graded (unincorporated places, whose nonprofits can’t be placed by mailing address, or towns with fewer than two of the three inputs).
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 Bear Lake Township
Does Bear Lake Township have a public library?
No. The closest is Crawford County Library in Grayling, 9.7 miles from the town center. Many libraries give cards to people from neighboring towns, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead.
What is Bear Lake Township’s civic life grade?
Bear Lake Township 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 Bear Lake Township.
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.