China has no public library of its own; the nearest is Alma M Carpenter Public Library in Sour Lake, 7.6 miles away
China doesn’t have a public library of its own. The closest is Alma M Carpenter Public Library in Sour Lake, 7.6 miles away. Many small-town libraries give cards to neighbors, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead.
–Civic lifeNot graded: fewer than two of the three inputsLibraries for China, in brief
China borrows from the libraries next door
China has no public library of its own, but Alma M Carpenter Public Library is 7.6 miles away in Sour Lake. 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
Alma M Carpenter Public Library is nearest, open about 42 hours a week. Rc Miller Memorial Library, 10 miles away, is open about 62 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.
What’s behind China’s civic life grade
China isn’t graded on civic life: it has no public library of its own 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 →
6 community nonprofits are registered in China
6.2 per 1,000 residents, against a U.S. town median of 3.7. The largest group: arts & culture.
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 (1 here), since whether a church registers depends on its denomination, not the town.
The closest is 7.6 miles away
Closest first, measured from the center of China. Each one’s hours, and whether it charges late fines.
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 China
Does China have a public library?
No. The closest is Alma M Carpenter Public Library in Sour Lake, 7.6 miles from the town center. Many libraries give cards to people from neighboring towns, sometimes for a yearly fee, so call ahead.
What is China’s civic life grade?
China isn’t graded on civic life: it has no public library of its own and the volunteering estimate doesn’t cover enough of it. How it works.
Book talk
Reading, story times and the library in China.
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.