The tools libraries are given don't reflect the work they do. LocalHop does.
A platform built exclusively for public libraries -- by people who spent ten years listening to what library professionals actually needed.
See it for your library"We weren't trying to build a company. We were just trying to find something to do on a Saturday."
-- Matt Russell, Co-Founder, LocalHop
We didn't set out to build library software.
Libraries found us.
It started with a simple question: what's happening around here this weekend? The answer was buried across a dozen websites, outdated flyers, and social posts from organizations that deserved far more reach than they were getting. So three friends built something better.
LocalHop launched in 2015 as a free events discovery app. It didn't take long before libraries started reaching out. And what they told us changed everything.
They didn't just need a calendar. They needed registration tools that worked with their ILS. Room software that cut front-desk chaos. Patron communication without three separate platforms.
So we listened. Then we built. Every feature in the LocalHop platform has a library professional somewhere in its history -- a director who named a problem, a coordinator who described a workaround, a front-desk staffer who showed us exactly where things broke down. Ten years later, that process hasn't changed.
Built in response.
Not in anticipation.
There is a version of this company that entered the library market with a product and a pitch. That is not how LocalHop started. Libraries told us what they needed. We built it.
Staff time is too valuable. We treat it that way.
Every automation, every eliminated double-entry, every manual check-in we replace -- that is the product acting on a core belief. Library staff are doing meaningful work with lean teams. The tools they use should reflect that. When they don't, it's not a staffing problem. It's a tools problem.
Libraries trust libraries. So do we.
The most trusted signal in library technology purchasing is what a peer says at a conference -- not a vendor pitch, not a marketing page. We built this company around earning that word-of-mouth. It is the standard we measure ourselves against.
Longevity isn't an accident. It's proof.
Ten years in a market where many vendors have failed or been acquired is evidence, not a talking point. We are still here because we still listen. The libraries that found us in 2015 are still with us -- and that is the only metric that matters to us.
Eight people.
One mission.
When something comes up at your library, you reach a real person on this team -- someone who already knows your ILS, your setup, and your workflow. Not a help desk that needs to look up what a library card is.
Matt Russell
Co-Founder & CEO
Jason Meyers
Co-Founder
Kirk Russell
Partnerships Director
Courtney Bordeaux
Product Manager
Hanna Shemke
Marketing Director
Devon Taylor
Senior UX/UI Designer
Shawn Chapiewski
Developer
Steve Moore
Senior Developer
Recognized by the people
who cover the industry.
LocalHop has earned recognition from the publications and programs that library directors actually read -- not industry-general awards, but the ones specific to this market.
Modern Library Awards -- LibraryWorks
The annual recognition program for library technology, read by the directors and coordinators who make purchasing decisions.
"They've been at the forefront of the industry since their company entered the market in 2015."
Coverage in the primary professional publication for library directors nationwide.
Ready to see what LocalHop looks like for your library?
We'll build your demo around your actual setup -- your ILS, your programs, your team. No generic walkthrough. No pressure.
Request a Demo A member of our team will follow up within one business day.