Humboldt County Library
🏢 Humboldt County Library System · Winnemucca, Nevada
Humboldt County Library
Serving the Great Basin's most Basque town since its 1968 building opened, Humboldt County Library keeps Winnemucca's cattle-country and mining history alive through an Oral History Project, a yearbook archive stretching to 1921, and free digital resources for every household in the county.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–6pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–7pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–7pm |
| Thursday | 9am–6pm |
| Friday | 9am–6pm |
| Saturday | 9am–3pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 85 E 5th Street, Winnemucca, NV 89445
Phone: (775) 623-6388
Website: humboldtcountynv.gov
Plus Code: 85G4X7F8+4X (Winnemucca, NV)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Humboldt County Library
The Humboldt County Library has served Winnemucca from its current 18,122-square-foot building at 85 E 5th Street since 1968, when the county constructed a dedicated facility after decades of library service from the courthouse. A 4,000-square-foot expansion completed in 1992 brought capacity to meet the county's growing circulation demands — now over 176,000 items annually. The library anchors a three-outlet system that also reaches the remote ranching communities of Denio and McDermitt via branch libraries and a bookmobile. Located in a county where 4.2% of residents identify as Basque — the highest share of any U.S. county — the library preserves Winnemucca's unique identity as a crossroads of Basque, cattle and gold-rush heritage through its Oral History Project and Winnada High School yearbook archive dating to 1921.
⭐ What makes this library special
- 18,122 sq ft main library open six days a week; 4,000 sq ft expansion added in 1992; 176,000+ annual circulation
- Humboldt County Oral History Project — digitized firsthand accounts from county residents, hosted on the Nevada Library Cooperative CONTENTdm platform
- Winnada Humboldt County High School yearbook archive (1921–2012) — a primary resource for local genealogy
- Humboldt County Genealogical Society meets at the library and supports research into cattle, mining and Basque heritage families
- Library of Things: Chromebooks (in-library), Wi-Fi hotspots, e-readers, wellness kits and storytime kits
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Humboldt County cardholders can stream, borrow and research free through Nevada's shared collections:
📚 Services
- Book, DVD, audiobook and magazine lending
- Library of Things: Chromebooks (in-library use), Wi-Fi hotspots, e-readers, wellness kits, storytime kits
- Humboldt County Genealogical Society on-site research assistance
- Public internet terminals (4 computers) and Wi-Fi
- Print, copy and fax services
- Interlibrary loan through INFORMATION NEVADA statewide cooperative
- Bookmobile serving Humboldt County rural communities
- Branch libraries in Denio (190 Pueblo Dr) and McDermitt (135 Oregon Rd)
- Virtual welfare and social services assistance (Thursdays)
- Free small business development meetings
- Summer Reading Program (all ages)
🎸 Programs
- Summer Reading Program — annual June–August; 2026 theme: 'Plant a Seed, Read!'
- Baby Bounce — weekly storytime for ages 0–3
- Teen Book Club & Teen Advisory — for grades 7–12
- Teen Movie Screenings
- Winnemucca Word Weavers — authors/writers group
- Good Life Good Death Cafe — monthly community conversation series
- Free Virtual Welfare & Social Services Aid (Thursdays)
- Small Business Development Meetings
📍 Nearby Nevada Libraries
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Humboldt County Library have resources for researching Basque family history in Winnemucca?
Yes. The Humboldt County Genealogical Society meets at the library (85 E 5th St) and can assist with research into Basque and other family lines. Winnemucca has the highest percentage of Basque-identifying residents of any U.S. county — 4.2% — with Basque settlers arriving from the 1850s as sheepherders and ranchers. The library's local history collection and Oral History Project capture firsthand accounts from that community. The University of Nevada's Center for Basque Studies in Reno holds deeper archival resources, accessible via interlibrary loan.
What is the Humboldt County Library Oral History Project?
The Oral History Project is a digitized collection of recorded interviews with Humboldt County residents covering significant periods of local history — from cattle ranching and silver mining to community life in Winnemucca. It is hosted on the Nevada Library Cooperative's CONTENTdm digital archive and accessible online, capturing perspectives from a region shaped by cattle drives, Basque sheepherding and early 20th-century railroad commerce.
Can I get a library card if I live far from Winnemucca in rural Humboldt County?
Yes. The system serves the entire county through its main branch in Winnemucca, branch libraries in Denio (190 Pueblo Drive; Mon–Wed Noon–5 PM, Thu 8 AM–1 PM) and McDermitt (135 Oregon Road; Mon/Tue/Thu 8 AM–5 PM, Wed 10 AM–7 PM), plus a county bookmobile. A library card also unlocks Libby e-books, hoopla and statewide databases — accessible from anywhere with an internet connection.
Does the library have materials on Winnemucca's cattle and mining heritage?
Yes. The library's local history and genealogy collections include materials reflecting Winnemucca's gold and silver mining history and the cattle ranching economy that has defined Humboldt County since the 1860s. The Winnada Humboldt County High School yearbook archive (1921–2012) documents generations of families who worked in these industries, and the Oral History Project includes firsthand accounts from ranching and mining community members.
📜 This library has genealogy & local-history resources. See how library family-history research works and find other libraries with genealogy collections genealogy libraries by state.
🧰 This library lends a “Library of Things.” See what you can borrow besides books and find other libraries with a Library of Things Library of Things by state.
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