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Elsberry, MissouriPhoto: TCP04 · CC BY 4.0
Libraries near Elsberry

Elsberry has no public library of its own; the nearest is South County Public Library District in Brussels, 18.4 miles away

Elsberry doesn’t have a public library of its own. The closest is South County Public Library District in Brussels, 18.4 miles away. Many small-town libraries give cards to neighbors, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead.

A−Civic lifeAhead of 81% of U.S. towns. Nonprofits and volunteering.
Directions (618) 883-2522All nearby libraries
In brief

Getting a library card from Elsberry

The nearest library is 18 miles from Elsberry

Elsberry has no public library of its own, and the closest, South County Public Library District in Brussels, is 18 miles from the town center. The next nearest is Carrollton Public Library, 22 miles away. Nearest libraries ↓

The closest isn’t the one open longest

South County Public Library District is nearest, open about 23 hours a week. Deer Run Branch, 24 miles away, is open about 53 hours a week, so it may be easier to fit in. Nearest libraries ↓

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.

Civic life grade

What’s behind Elsberry’s civic life grade

On community nonprofits and volunteering, Elsberry is ahead of 81% of U.S. towns. Elsberry is graded on two of the three inputs. Both inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of younger adults in volunteering groups ranks highest.

A−
Civic lifeA character grade: shown, never part of Elsberry’s overall grade.
–Library visitsNo public library of its own, so there is no town figureB−Community nonprofits4.0 per 1,000 residents · MO towns 3.8 · U.S. 3.7AVolunteering11.9% of adults 25–44 · MO towns 9.3% · U.S. 7.5%
All U.S. towns we grade (17,556)Ahead of 81%
FewerMore
U.S. towns with similar incomes, $37K–$62K (4,889)Ahead of 79%

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.

How sure. Graded on two inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. Elsberry is small (2,108 residents), so a few dozen organizations or visits move its per-resident figures; the volunteering share is a 2022 estimate from Facebook users aged 25–44.

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 →

Places to belong

7 community nonprofits are registered in Elsberry

4.0 per 1,000 residents, against a U.S. town median of 3.7. The largest group: civic groups, clubs & veterans.

Community nonprofits, by kind

Arts & culture10.48 per 1,000 · U.S. towns 0.24
Youth, sports & recreation00.00 per 1,000 · U.S. towns 0.52
Civic groups, clubs & veterans31.39 per 1,000 · U.S. towns 0.74
Human services00.21 per 1,000 · U.S. towns 0.59
Education10.70 per 1,000 · U.S. towns 0.43
Health00.21 per 1,000 · U.S. towns 0.16
Environment & animals10.70 per 1,000 · U.S. towns 0.17

Counted from the IRS list of tax-exempt organizations by mailing address (fractions where a ZIP code spans towns). Congregations are counted apart (3 here), since whether a church registers depends on its denomination, not the town.

Volunteering

11.9%

11.9% of Elsberry’s Facebook users aged 25–44 belong to a volunteering or activism group, against 9.3% in the typical Missouri 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 Elsberry’s residents live; 2022.

Nearest libraries

The closest is 18.4 miles away

Closest first, measured from the center of Elsberry. Each one’s hours, and whether it charges late fines.

18.4miSouth County Public Library DistrictBrussels · 23 hrs a week · fine-freeDirections →22.3miCarrollton Public LibraryCarrollton · 26 hrs a week · fine-freeDirections →23.9miDeer Run BranchO'Fallon · 53 hrs a week · fine-freeDirections →24miLouisiana Public LibraryLouisiana · 21 hrs a weekDirections →
How to read these numbers

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 Elsberry

Does Elsberry have a public library?

No. The closest is South County Public Library District in Brussels, 18.4 miles from the town center. Many libraries give cards to people from neighboring towns, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead.

What is Elsberry’s civic life grade?

A− Elsberry is ahead of 81% of U.S. towns on civic life. 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 Elsberry.

Town Square →
Start a conversation

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.