Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0North Oaks has no public library of its own; the nearest is Shoreview Library in Shoreview, 2.4 miles away
North Oaks doesn’t have a public library of its own. The closest is Shoreview Library in Shoreview, 2.4 miles away. Many small-town libraries give cards to neighbors, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead.
BCivic lifeAhead of 56% of U.S. towns · #124 of 271 in Minnesota. Nonprofits and volunteering.Libraries for North Oaks, in brief
North Oaks borrows from the libraries next door
North Oaks has no public library of its own, but four libraries are within 10 miles, the closest being Shoreview Library in Shoreview (2.4 miles). Many small-town libraries give cards to people from neighboring towns, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead. Nearest libraries ↓
North Oaks isn’t the only town nearby without one
White Bear Township, Vadnais Heights and Lino Lakes don’t have a public library of their own either. Among the towns next door, Shoreview (Shoreview 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 North Oaks’ civic life grade
On community nonprofits and volunteering, North Oaks is ahead of 56% of U.S. towns, #124 of 271 in Minnesota. North Oaks is graded on two of the three inputs. North Oaks’ count of community nonprofits holds the grade up; the share of younger adults in volunteering groups pulls it down.
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 →
25 community nonprofits are registered in North Oaks
4.9 per 1,000 residents, against a U.S. town median of 3.7. The largest group: youth, sports & recreation.
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. 1 more name a national or statewide reach and are left out.
6.9%
6.9% of North Oaks’ Facebook users aged 25–44 belong to a volunteering or activism group, against 7.4% in the typical Minnesota town and 7.5% nationally.
Volunteering: Social Capital Atlas (Opportunity Insights), from data by Meta Platforms, Inc.; Chetty et al., Nature 2022. ZIP-code figures, weighted by where North Oaks’ residents live; 2022.
The closest is 2.4 miles away
Closest first, measured from the center of North Oaks. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shoreview | Shoreview Library fine-free | — | 57 | B− |
| White Bear Township | None of its own | — | — | C+ |
| Vadnais Heights | None of its own | — | — | B− |
| Lino Lakes | None of its own | — | — | C− |
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 North Oaks
Does North Oaks have a public library?
No. The closest is Shoreview Library in Shoreview, 2.4 miles from the town center. Many libraries give cards to people from neighboring towns, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead.
What is North Oaks’ civic life grade?
B North Oaks is ahead of 56% of U.S. towns on civic life, #124 of 271 in Minnesota. The grade combines library visits per resident, community nonprofits per 1,000 residents and the share of adults 25–44 in volunteering groups. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Book talk
Reading, story times and the library in North Oaks.
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.