Photo: Chillin662 · CC BY 4.0Inverness’ library is a branch of Sunflower County Library, which lends less per resident than 95% of systems its size
Inverness’s library is the Inverness Public Library, a branch of Sunflower County Library, which serves 24,468 people and lent 19K items last year.
The short version on Inverness’s library
The Sunflower County Library system is used less than most libraries its size
The Sunflower County Library system records 0.6 visits per resident, against a typical 3.1 for libraries serving 10,000 to 25,000 people. Borrowing is 0.7 print items per resident, against a typical 3.9. How it compares ↓
Open only about 16 hours a week
The Inverness branch keeps short hours: about 16 a week, averaged over the year, so check its schedule before you go. The building ↓
Almost all the borrowing is off the shelf
Only 7% of loans are e-books, audiobooks or streaming, fewer per resident than at 96% of similar-size libraries. What people borrow ↓
This summary is written from the numbers on this page. Numbers are the library’s own report to the Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024; Inverness’s library is a branch of Sunflower County Library, so they cover the whole system (24,468 people), not just the Inverness branch.
What’s behind Inverness’ civic life grade
Inverness 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 →
Ahead of most similar-size libraries on 1 of 8 measures
Per resident, against libraries serving 10,000 to 25,000 people across the U.S.
Sunflower County Library serves 24,468 people, so it’s measured against U.S. libraries serving 10,000 to 25,000.
Every hour the doors are open, about 3 items go out
Fiscal year 2024, for the whole Sunflower County Library system. The library’s own count.
Mostly books and media off the shelf
19K loans last year: print, kids’ and digital.
1,320 e-books, e-audiobooks and streams last year. Borrow from home with your card, plus research databases: courses, journals, genealogy and more.
About 4 kids’ programs a week
Story times, clubs, classes and events, across the whole system, by who they’re for.
Programs last year by age group
story times and programs a week for ages 0–5, on average.
Find it
Inverness Public Library, 802 East Grand Avenue, Inverness.
No late fees. E-books and audiobooks from home. Loans renew on their own if no one’s waiting. Research databases: courses, journals, genealogy. Good at every Sunflower County Library branch.
New in Inverness? The Handbook →Hours are the survey’s yearly average. Check the library’s own site for today’s hours.
For every $1 it spends, the library lends about $1.12 worth
Set what you’d borrow in a month. It starts at what the average Inverness cardholder borrows.
Typical for a library this size: $43. Operating budget $662K.
Last year the library lent and hosted about $743K worth of books, e-books, programs and Wi-Fi on a $662K budget.
Fine-free. No late fees on books returned late.
Retail prices are typical, rounded down: a new book $17, a kids’ book $12, an e-book or e-audiobook $15, a movie rental $4, a class or program $10, a computer or Wi-Fi session $3. The average cardholder’s month = the library’s yearly loans, attendance and Wi-Fi sessions ÷ its 14,105 cardholders ÷ 12.
What this data can and can’t tell you
From the Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024.
- System-wide. Inverness Public Library is one branch of Sunflower County Library, so the yearly numbers cover every branch and all 24,468 people it serves.
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 Inverness
Does Inverness have a public library?
Yes: Inverness Public Library, 802 East Grand Avenue, is a branch of Sunflower County Library, which serves 24,468 people. The branch is open about 16 hours a week, averaged over the year.
Is Sunflower County Library fine-free? Does it lend e-books?
Yes to both: no late fees, and e-books, audiobooks and research databases with a card (the library’s 2024 survey report).
How busy is Inverness’ library?
It logged 0.6 visits and lent 0.8 items per resident in 2024, against a typical 3.1 visits for libraries serving 10,000 to 25,000 people.
What is Inverness’ civic life grade?
Inverness 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 Inverness.
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.