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Old Ithaca, Nebraska grain elevator from SEPhoto: Ammodramus · Public domain
Libraries near Ithaca

Ithaca has no public library of its own; the nearest is Mead Public Library in Mead, 5.4 miles away

Ithaca doesn’t have a public library of its own. The closest is Mead Public Library in Mead, 5.4 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 residents
Directions (402) 624-6605All nearby libraries
In brief

Getting a library card from Ithaca

Ithaca borrows from the libraries next door

Ithaca has no public library of its own, but four libraries are within 10 miles, the closest being Mead Public Library in Mead (5.4 miles). Many small-town libraries give cards to people from neighboring towns, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead. Nearest libraries ↓

The closest isn’t the one open longest

Mead Public Library is nearest, open about 25 hours a week. Wahoo Public Library, 5.6 miles away, is open about 55 hours a week, so it may be easier to fit in. 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 Ithaca’s civic life grade

Ithaca isn’t graded on civic life: TownRatings grades towns of 1,000 residents or more.

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Civic lifeA character grade: shown, never part of Ithaca’s overall grade.

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 →

Nearest libraries

The closest is 5.4 miles away

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

5.4miMead Public LibraryMead · 25 hrs a weekDirections →5.6miWahoo Public LibraryWahoo · 55 hrs a week · fine-freeDirections →9miCeresco Community LibraryCeresco · 25 hrs a week · fine-freeDirections →9.5miYutan Public LibraryYutan · 40 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 Ithaca

Does Ithaca have a public library?

No. The closest is Mead Public Library in Mead, 5.4 miles from the town center. Many libraries give cards to people from neighboring towns, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead.

What is Ithaca’s civic life grade?

Ithaca 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 Ithaca.

Town Square →
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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.