The Dallas Public Library serves over 1.2 million residents in the city of Dallas. The library maintains over 4.1 million volumes and circulates over 10.2 million items annually. The library, which was founded in the 1890s as a result of civic leaders' attempts to establish a free public library, presently has 30 service locations across the city where it fulfills its mission of empowering the community through its collections without racial discrimination.