Photo: Trashbag · CC BY-SA 3.0John Day’s library runs 0.5 programs per 1,000 residents, against a typical 34 for libraries its size
Grant County Library serves 7,418 people in and around John Day. Last year it lent 19K print books and media and drew 85 people to its programs.
John Day’s library, in brief
Few programs for a library this size
Grant County Library offered 4 programs last year, 0.5 per 1,000 residents against a typical 34. Kids & programs ↓
Below typical on every measure
Against libraries serving 2,500 to 10,000 people, Grant County Library sits below the middle on all five per-resident measures we compare, and in the bottom 30% on three. 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; Grant County Library serves 7,418 people in and around John Day, and its numbers cover all of them.
What’s behind John Day’s civic life grade
John Day isn’t graded on civic life: its library is a branch of Grant County Library, so there is no town figure for visits and the volunteering estimate doesn’t cover enough of it.
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 →
38 community nonprofits are registered in John Day
23.6 per 1,000 residents, against a U.S. town median of 3.7. The largest group: civic groups, clubs & veterans.
Community nonprofits, by kind
Counted from the IRS list of tax-exempt organizations by mailing address (fractions where a ZIP code spans towns). Congregations are counted apart (6 here), since whether a church registers depends on its denomination, not the town.
Below most similar-size libraries on all 6 measures
Per resident, against libraries serving 2,500 to 10,000 people across the U.S.
Grant County Library serves 7,418 people, so it’s measured against U.S. libraries serving 2,500 to 10,000.
Every hour the doors are open, about 14 items go out
Fiscal year 2024, for the whole Grant County Library system. The library’s own count.
Visits aren’t shown: this year’s report counted only 150 visits against 19K loans, so we leave the count out.
Books and media off the shelf
19K print loans last year. The library didn’t report its e-book and e-audiobook loans.
4 programs a year
Story times, clubs, classes and events, across the whole system, by who they’re for.
Programs last year by age group
Find it
Grant County Library, 507 S Canyon Blvd, John Day.
No late fees. Loans renew on their own if no one’s waiting. Research databases: courses, journals, genealogy. Good at every Grant County Library branch.
New in John Day? 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 $1.42 worth
Set what you’d borrow in a month. It starts at what the average John Day cardholder borrows.
Typical for a library this size: $43. Operating budget $201K.
Last year the library lent and hosted about $285K worth of books, e-books, programs and Wi-Fi on a $201K 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 1,477 cardholders ÷ 12.
What this data can and can’t tell you
From the Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024.
- Digital loans not reported. The library didn’t report e-book loans, so borrowing here is print only.
- System-wide. Grant County Library serves 7,418 people in and around John Day, so the yearly numbers cover all of them, not just John Day.
- Visits left out. This year’s visit count is far below what the library lends, so we leave it out.
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 John Day
Does John Day have a public library?
Yes. Grant County Library, 507 S Canyon Blvd, serves 7,418 people in and around John Day (the survey’s count) and is open about 26 hours a week, averaged over the year.
Is Grant County Library fine-free?
Yes, no late fees (the library’s 2024 survey report).
How busy is John Day’s library?
It lent 2.5 items per resident in 2024 (print) and ran 4 programs that drew 85 people. Visits weren’t reported for 2024.
What is John Day’s civic life grade?
John Day isn’t graded on civic life: its library is a branch of Grant County Library, so there is no town figure for visits and the volunteering estimate doesn’t cover enough of it. How it works.
Book talk
Reading, story times and the library in John Day.
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.