About the Library

Mission, Values & Strategic Roadmap

View our Mission, Vision, Values, and Strategic Roadmap, and then, see how the Library is achieving those goals in our Annual Report.

Customer Service Philosophy

To be worthy of our patron's continued support, we want to make you our top priority by offering unparalleled service. Our goal is to assist you in any way we can in your pursuit of information and enrichment. In our effort to make each experience the best it can be, see what principles guide our actions.

Communities We Serve

The Library serves the citizens of Centerville and Washington Township located eight miles southeast of Dayton, OH.

History of the Library

A School District Library tracing its roots back to 1810, seven years after Ohio became a state. Watch a video, view a collection of old Library photos, and read more about the Library's rich history.

Annual Circulation:

2021 - 1.5 million items

2022 - 1.5 million items

Circulation Per Capita:

2021 – 28 items/year

2022 – 22 items/year

Items Added to Collection:

2021 – 24,378

2022 – 40,225

Library Cardholders:

69K (38K from CV/WT)

Library Visitors:

2021 – 5,557/week

2022 – 6,451/week

Website Visitors:

2021 – 15,364/week

2022 – 15,100/week

Operating Revenue:

2020 – 8.0 million

2021 – 8.3 million

The Library is funded by the Public Library Fund (PLF), which receives 1.7% of total state tax revenues annually, and a continuous 3.0 mil local operating levy passed in November 2021. These state and local revenue sources support current ongoing operating expenses. In addition, the Library actively seeks private funding to support “special projects”. Since 2011, more than $750,000 in grants and private donations have been secured, including:

Federal, State, Community Grants: $183,000
Friends of Washington-Centerville Public Library Grants: $264,409
Endowments: $247,710
Donations: $96,644