Photo: Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page, my Commons user talk page, or my English Wikipedia user talk page; I'll know about it a lot faster) · CC BY-SA 4.0Columbia has no public library of its own; the nearest is Catherine Dickson Hofman Branch Library in Blairstown, 6.5 miles away
Columbia doesn’t have a public library of its own. The closest is Catherine Dickson Hofman Branch Library in Blairstown, 6.5 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 residentsGetting a library card from Columbia
Columbia borrows from the libraries next door
Columbia has no public library of its own, but four libraries are within 10 miles, the closest being Catherine Dickson Hofman Branch Library in Blairstown (6.5 miles). Many small-town libraries give cards to people from neighboring towns, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead. Nearest libraries ↓
Columbia isn’t the only town nearby without one
Portland and Knowlton Township don’t have a public library of their own either. Libraries next door ↓
The closest isn’t the one open longest
Catherine Dickson Hofman Branch Library is nearest, open about 35 hours a week. Eastern Monroe Public Library, 7.8 miles away, is open about 62 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.
What’s behind Columbia’s civic life grade
Columbia 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 →
The closest is 6.5 miles away
Closest first, measured from the center of Columbia. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland | None of its own | — | — | — under 1,000 residents |
| Knowlton Township | None of its own | — | — | A |
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 Columbia
Does Columbia have a public library?
No. The closest is Catherine Dickson Hofman Branch Library in Blairstown, 6.5 miles from the town center. Many libraries give cards to people from neighboring towns, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead.
What is Columbia’s civic life grade?
Columbia 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 Columbia.
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.