Photo: Ktkvtsh · CC BY 4.0Lake’s library is a branch of Central Mississippi Regional Library, which lends less per resident than 81% of systems its size
Lake’s library is the Lake Public Library, a branch of Central Mississippi Regional Library, which serves 227,738 people and lent 596K items last year.
Lake’s library, in brief
Three times the programs of a typical library its size
The Central Mississippi Regional Library system ran 6,724 programs last year, about 129 a week. That’s 30 per 1,000 residents, against a typical 9. People show up: 160,000 attended. Kids & programs ↓
Open only about 20 hours a week
The Lake branch keeps short hours: about 20 a week, averaged over the year, so check its schedule before you go. The building ↓
Runs on less money than most
The Central Mississippi Regional Library system spends $11 per resident, less than 97% of similar-size libraries (typical: $36). What your card is worth ↓
80% of the people it serves carry a library card
181,918 cards for 227,738 people, or 80%. At the typical library serving 100,000+ people, it’s 41%. How it compares ↓
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; Lake’s library is a branch of Central Mississippi Regional Library, so they cover the whole system (227,738 people), not just the Lake branch.
What’s behind Lake’s civic life grade
Lake 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 →
About 73 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.
Ahead of most similar-size libraries on 3 of 8 measures
Per resident, against libraries serving 100,000+ people across the U.S.
Central Mississippi Regional Library serves 227,738 people, so it’s measured against U.S. libraries serving 100,000+.
Every hour the doors are open, about 16 items go out
Fiscal year 2024, for the whole Central Mississippi Regional Library system. The library’s own count.
Mostly books and media off the shelf
596K loans last year: print, kids’ and digital.
204,376 e-books, e-audiobooks and streams last year. Borrow from home with your card, plus research databases: courses, journals, genealogy and more.
Find it
Lake Public Library, 100 Front Street, Lake.
E-books and audiobooks from home. Research databases: courses, journals, genealogy. Good at every Central Mississippi Regional Library branch.
New in Lake? 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 $4.45 worth
Set what you’d borrow in a month. It starts at what the average Lake cardholder borrows.
Typical for a library this size: $36. Operating budget $2.4M.
Last year the library lent and hosted about $11M worth of books, e-books, programs and Wi-Fi on a $2.4M budget.
Late fines apply to some overdue items.
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 181,918 cardholders ÷ 12.
What this data can and can’t tell you
From the Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024.
- System-wide. Lake Public Library is one branch of Central Mississippi Regional Library, so the yearly numbers cover every branch and all 227,738 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 Lake
Does Lake have a public library?
Yes: Lake Public Library, 100 Front Street, is a branch of Central Mississippi Regional Library, which serves 227,738 people. The branch is open about 20 hours a week, averaged over the year.
Is Central Mississippi Regional Library fine-free? Does it lend e-books?
It charges late fines on some overdue items, and it lends e-books and audiobooks with a card (the library’s 2024 survey report).
How busy is Lake’s library?
It logged 1.7 visits and lent 2.6 items per resident in 2024, against a typical 2.1 visits for libraries serving 100,000+ people.
What is Lake’s civic life grade?
Lake 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 Lake.
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.