Oregon Caves Chateau · Photo: Acroterion · CC BY-SA 4.0Williams’ library is a branch of Josephine Community Library District, which lends more per resident than 60% of systems its size
Williams’s library is the Williams Branch Library, a branch of Josephine Community Library District, which serves 40,924 people and lent 193K items last year.
Williams’s library, in brief
Programs are almost all for children
81% of the 432 programs last year were for ages 11 and under, including about 5.5 a week for ages 0–5. Kids & programs ↓
Open only about 20 hours a week
The Williams branch keeps short hours: about 20 a week, averaged over the year, so check its schedule before you go. The building ↓
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; Williams’s library is a branch of Josephine Community Library District, so they cover the whole system (40,924 people), not just the Williams branch.
What’s behind Williams’ civic life grade
Williams 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 5 of 7 measures
Per resident, against libraries serving 25,000 to 100,000 people across the U.S.
Josephine Community Library District serves 40,924 people, so it’s measured against U.S. libraries serving 25,000 to 100,000.
Every hour the doors are open, about 40 items go out
Fiscal year 2024, for the whole Josephine Community Library District system. The library’s own count.
Almost half the print loans are kids’ books
193K print loans last year. The library didn’t report its e-book and e-audiobook loans.
About 7 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
Williams Branch Library, 20695 Williams Hwy, Williams.
No late fees. Loans renew on their own if no one’s waiting. Research databases: courses, journals, genealogy. Good at every Josephine Community Library District branch.
New in Williams? 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 $1.76 worth
Set what you’d borrow in a month. It starts at what the average Williams cardholder borrows.
Typical for a library this size: $40. Operating budget $1.7M.
Last year the library lent and hosted about $3M worth of books, e-books, programs and Wi-Fi on a $1.7M 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 24,976 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. Williams Branch Library is one branch of Josephine Community Library District, so the yearly numbers cover every branch and all 40,924 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 Williams
Does Williams have a public library?
Yes: Williams Branch Library, 20695 Williams Hwy, is a branch of Josephine Community Library District, which serves 40,924 people. The branch is open about 20 hours a week, averaged over the year.
Is Josephine Community Library District fine-free?
Yes, no late fees (the library’s 2024 survey report).
How busy is Williams’ library?
It logged 2.6 visits and lent 4.7 print items per resident in 2024, against a typical 2.6 visits for libraries serving 25,000 to 100,000 people.
What is Williams’ civic life grade?
Williams 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 Williams.
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.