8 Best American Cities for People Who Love Libraries

Reading can be a great way to spend some downtime—and a great way to spend cash. After all, you need to buy that next book, right? Fortunately, you also probably have a local library, which can be a community resource and a place to pick up books without also picking up some extra debt.

But some cities are better than others when it comes to where Americans can get the most out of their libraries. Are you a bookworm who’s lucky enough to live in one of these places?

1. New York, New York
2. Washington, D.C.
3. Chicago, Illinois
4. Cincinnati, Ohio
5. Boston, Massachusetts
6. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
7. Salt Lake City, Utah
8. Ann Arbor, Michigan

New York, New York

New York City is packed with readers who get their books from library systems for the boroughs, such as the Brooklyn Library or Queens Borough Library.

But the biggest and best is the New York Public Library with its main branch right in the heart of Manhattan, which has more than 17 million visits from patrons each year. That’s probably why it has the highest number of library materials in circulation in the U.S., with 22 million pieces covered by an almost $27 million budget, the largest in the country.

Washington, D.C.

The Library of Congress is a national jewel that houses a wide variety of materials at its home in Washington, D.C., near the Capitol Building, as well as other storage facilities. The library’s main purpose, however, is as a research library and not a leisure library, so you may want to visit the historic building, but it’s not the best place to pick up the latest James Patterson novel.

Residents who want to grab typical library fare can check out the D.C. Public Library, which has plenty of novels and other choices.

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll likely have little trouble finding a library in Chicago, with the public system consisting of 80 branches, making it one of the easiest library systems to navigate in the country. Residents can choose from almost six million pieces to enjoy as part of the city library’s wide collection. It also probably helps that the American Library Association calls Chicago home with its headquarters on the city’s famed Michigan Avenue.

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Cincinnati, Ohio

You may be surprised to see the Ohio city of Cincinnati on this list, but you would also be surprised when visiting if the city’s public library system didn’t have the book you were looking for. That’s because Cincinnati’s system, housed in Hamilton County, Ohio, has the second-highest number of holdings for a library system in the United States, with almost 12 million items. Only New York has more. And it’s not only for Cincy residents, as anyone who lives in the state of Ohio can get a Cincinnati library card.

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston is known for its colleges and universities, like Boston College and Boston University, as well as Harvard in nearby Cambridge, Massachusetts. That gives you plenty of access to academic libraries for research purposes, along with the public library system for any gaps.

The public system has around 8 million print materials that you can read and check out, making it the third-largest library system by all materials and the second-highest number of print sources in a public library system in the U.S. after New York.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The city’s Free Library of Philadelphia has 54 branches that cover children’s books and adult novels to research materials throughout the city. Historians and researchers also may want to check out The Athenaeum of Philadelphia, which was established in 1814 and currently holds a collection dedicated to interior and architectural design.

Salt Lake City, Utah

Head to the mountains and Salt Lake City’s public library system which has almost 14 million pieces checked out of its library system each year, so you’re sure to find someone who has a book, magazine, ebook, or more. The city is also home to the FamilySearch Library, which is operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and houses one of the largest genealogical collections in the world.

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Ann Arbor has some great options depending on what you need from a library. The city, located about an hour west of Detroit, is home to five public library branches, including one in the heart of the city’s downtown area. Ann Arbor is also home to the University of Michigan, which has the third-largest research library in the U.S.