Cando Community Library
🏢 Cando Community Library · Cando, North Dakota
Cando Community Library
Tucked into the heart of Cando, the county seat of Towner County on the North Dakota prairie, the Cando Community Library at 502 Main Street is the city's public reading and research center. With Tuesday and Thursday evening hours running until 8 p.m. and a collection of 24,500 volumes for a community of about 1,100 people, the library punches well above its weight — offering Hoopla and Libby digital borrowing, Towner County genealogy databases, and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library for young children.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 3pm–8pm |
| Wednesday | 11am–2pm |
| Thursday | 3pm–8pm |
| Friday | Closed |
| Saturday | 11am–2pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 502 Main Street, Cando, ND 58324
Phone: (701) 968-4549
Website: candocommunitylibrary.com
Plus Code: 86W2FQQW+RJ (Cando, ND)
📱 Scan for directions
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👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Cando Community Library
The Cando Community Library serves Cando, North Dakota, the seat of Towner County — a county organized on January 24, 1884, the same year Cando was platted as its county seat. The library holds 24,500 volumes and circulates nearly 8,000 items a year to a community of approximately 1,115 residents, making it one of the more active small-town libraries per capita on the northern plains. Its online catalog (booksys.net) is independent of the ODIN statewide system, but patrons have full access to statewide digital resources including the North Dakota Digital Consortium's Library2Go and Hoopla for streaming and downloading ebooks, audiobooks, movies and music with no waitlists. The library maintains a local genealogy database for Towner County research and links to North Dakota State Historical Society archives, making it a genuine first stop for anyone tracing family roots in this part of the state. Tuesday and Thursday evening hours until 8 p.m. accommodate working adults and school-age children.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Serves Cando, seat of Towner County, organized 1884 — approximately 1,100 residents, 24,500-volume collection
- Tuesday and Thursday evening hours until 8 p.m. for working families and students
- Hoopla digital streaming — no waitlists for movies, music, comics, audiobooks and ebooks
- Towner County genealogy database plus ND State Historical Society archives for family history research
- Dolly Parton's Imagination Library free book program for children in the community
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Cando Community Library cardholders can stream, download, and research free through North Dakota's statewide digital resources:
📚 Services
- Hoopla and Libby digital borrowing — ebooks, audiobooks, movies and music
- Online catalog at candond.booksys.net
- Towner County genealogy and historical research resources
- Dolly Parton's Imagination Library free book enrollment for local children
- Physical collection of 24,500 volumes covering fiction, non-fiction, young adult and children's titles
- Free internet and computer access
- Book drop for after-hours returns
- Interlibrary loan through the North Dakota State Library
🎸 Programs
- Dolly Parton's Imagination Library — free monthly books for children from birth to age 5
- Community reading programs and events listed on Facebook (facebook.com/candopubliclibrary)
- Genealogy research assistance for Towner County family history
📍 Nearby Libraries in Northeastern North Dakota
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Cando · Browse all North Dakota libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Cando Community Library's hours, and why are evenings available?
The library is open Tuesday and Thursday from 3 to 8 p.m. and Wednesday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The evening hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays were designed to serve working adults and school-age children who cannot visit during a standard daytime schedule — a practical choice for a small rural community where residents may commute to nearby towns for work.
Can I borrow digital books and movies from the Cando Community Library?
Yes. Cando cardholders can use Hoopla to instantly borrow ebooks, audiobooks, movies, TV shows, music and comics with no waitlists. The North Dakota Digital Consortium's Library2Go (accessed through the Libby app) also provides downloadable ebooks, audiobooks and e-magazines. Both services are free with a valid library card.
Does the library have resources for researching Towner County family history?
Yes. The library provides access to a Towner County Genealogy database for local family history research. It also links to the North Dakota State Historical Society's online archives and the ND State Library's Digital Horizons collection of Northern Plains historical photographs and documents. Ancestry Library Edition is available for in-library use at some partnering North Dakota institutions.
What is Cando's connection to Towner County, and why is the county seat relevant?
Cando has been the seat of Towner County since the county was organized on January 24, 1884. As the county seat, Cando hosts government offices and community institutions including the library, making it the central public-services hub for the surrounding agricultural townships. The library's genealogy resources reflect this administrative history, with records covering the county since its founding.
📜 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.
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✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.