Public Library Use
ALA Library Fact Sheet 6
The American Library Association is often asked to answer questions about public libraries: How are they used, who is using them, and what do people think of them? This ALA Library Fact Sheet is designed to help answer these questions. It contains information from recent studies that document public library use and opinions held by individuals about public libraries.
Just before the 2011 ALA Annual Conference came the June 17, 2011 press release out of the federal library agency, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), in Washington DC, U.S. IMPACT Study Second Report - Opportunity for All: How Library Policies and Practices Impact Public Internet Access:
Public libraries have become essential points of access to the Internet and computers in local communities, with nearly every library in the country offering public internet access. Yet, individual library practices can have significant affect on the quality and character of this public service. Opportunity for All: How Library Policies and Practices Impact Public Internet Access (PDF), offers an analysis of the service in four public library systems and makes recommendations for strategies that help to sustain and improve public access service. The report was funded through a partnership between the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Institute of Museum and Library Services and was produced by the University of Washington Information School.
Libraries play a vital role in providing services that are necessary in everyday life. The recommendations from this study provide a foundation to discuss the wide range of internal and external policy issues that affect the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of the types of library resources and environments most patrons encounter in U.S. public libraries.
"This study identifies important best practices that can help libraries improve patron experience and contribute to positive learning outcomes," said IMLS Director Susan Hildreth. "This report will be very useful for educating the public and provides actionable recommendations for policymakers and funders as they consider future efforts in this area."
This second report is a companion volume to the first report in the U.S. IMPACT Study, Opportunity for All: How the American Public Benefits from Internet Access at U.S. Libraries.
State of America's Libraries: A Report from the American Library Association
The 2011 State of America's Libraries: A Report from the American Library Association (which can no longer be accessed at http://tinyurl.com/alasalr2011) -- which is available as a 70-page Adobe Reader PDF file and which for the first time is also available as a Zmags digital magazine supplement courtesy of American Libraries at <http://www.americanlibrariesmagazine.org/archives/issue/state-americas-libraries-2011> -- was released, as usual, during National Library Week. As detailed in our April 11, 2011 news item, Job-seekers, entrepreneurs continue to turn to their local library for help: State of America's Libraries Report 2011, the report states that the Great Recession may have come to an end, but hard-pressed Americans continue to turn to their local libraries for help in finding a job or launching their own business. Other key trends detailed in the 2011 State of America's Libraries Report:
- The report includes data from a January 2011 Harris Interactive Poll (PDF), stating that even as budget-cutters take aim at libraries -- U.S. mayors reported in November that hours, staff or services at local libraries was the No. 2 budget area that been cut; another study indicated that 19 states reported cuts in funding for public libraries from fiscal 2010 to fiscal 2011 and that more than half said the cuts were greater than 10 percent, and that state cuts often were compounded by cuts at the local level -- and their services, more than two-thirds of the 1,000-plus adults contacted in the survey said that the library's assistance in starting a business or finding a job was important to them.
- The University of Pennsylvania's Fels Institute of Government conducted an economic impact study of the Free Library of Philadelphia that provided bottom-line evidence that the return on investment in library service more than justifies the costs. The study concludes that the library created more than $30 million worth of economic value to the city in fiscal 2010 and that it had a particularly strong impact on business development and employment. It also showed that homes located within a quarter-mile of a branch library were worth an average of $9,630 more than homes outside that radius, an indication that the presence of a library is associated with larger real estate tax revenues.
- The availability of wireless Internet in public libraries is approaching 85 percent, and about two-thirds of them extend wireless access outside the library. Computer usage at public libraries continues to increase.
- Almost all academic libraries offer e-books, as do more than two-thirds of public libraries. For most libraries, e-books are only still a small percentage of circulated items -- but represent the fastest-growing segment.
- A battle over the future of widely used e-books was joined in March, when HarperCollins announced that it will not allow its e-books to be checked out from a library more than 26 times, raising the possibility that e-books that are not repurchased would be available at the library for only about a year.
- Students and faculty are using academic libraries more than ever. During a typical week, academic libraries had more than 31 million searches in electronic databases, answered 469,000 reference questions and made 12,000 group presentations. At the same time, many academic libraries are grappling with budget reductions and subsequent restructuring.
- U.S. libraries of all types continue to make increasing use of social media and Web 2.0 applications and tools to connect with library users and to market programs and services. Facebook, Twitter and blogging tools are the favorites.
- Taxpayers entrusted libraries with their tax dollars by approving 87 percent of operating measures on ballots across the country.
- Libraries, bookstores and individuals nationwide continue to battle censorship, and thousands of people read from banned or challenged books during Banned Books Week (Sept. 25–Oct. 2, 2010). Leading the Top Ten List of Frequently Challenged Books published annually by the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom were "And Tango Makes Three" (by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson), "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" (by Sherman Alexie), and Aldous Huxley’s "Brave New World," which has been stimulating would-be censors almost continuously since its publication – in 1932.
- School expenditures on information resources decreased 9.4 percent from the previous year. Nevertheless, the average number of hours school library staff spent each week delivering instruction continued to increase (0.5 hours more than in 2009, for a total of 15 hours).
- The library profession continues its efforts to make its ranks more accessible to minorities and to strengthen its outreach efforts to underserved populations. The ALA's Spectrum Scholarship Program, for example, awarded 75 scholarships in 2010 to members of underrepresented groups to help them pursue master's degrees. And the Family Literacy Focus initiative, launched by 2009-2010 ALA President Camila Alire, encourages families in ethnically diverse communities to read and learn together.
- To turn children into lifelong readers, libraries are building spaces as creative and playful as their youngest patrons. And those spaces are becoming greener: Environmental sustainability continues to gain the attention of library designers, with a number of new libraries certified under the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) program.
- The library community is both struggling to keep up with the digital revolution –– and envisioning a future that incorporates new philosophies, technologies and spaces to meet all users' needs more effectively. As one analyst notes, the changes "go beyond merely incorporating technological advances to include rethinking the very core of what defines a library — [a] sense of place, of service, and of community."
Findings of the 2010 State of America's Libraries: A Report from the American Library Association -- at <http://tinyurl.com/State2010> -- appear in our April 12, 2010 news item, Recession drives more Americans to libraries in search of employment resources; but funding lags demand.
Findings of the 2009 State of America's Libraries: A Report from the American Library Association appear in our April 13, 2009 news item, New report shows libraries critical in times of crisis, but funding lags and services reduced.
Findings of the 2008 State of America's Libraries: A Report from the American Library Association (available via the Internet Archive) appear in our April 14, 2008 news item, Libraries play a key role in learning and development: Public libraries are engines of economic growth, studies show.
Findings of the 2007 State of America's Libraries: A Report from the American Library Association -- at <http://www.ala.org/2007state> -- appear in our April 16, 2007 news item, New data on U.S. libraries shows almost two billion served: Predicted demise due to Internet fails to materialize.
Findings of the 2006
State of America's Libraries:
A Report from the American Library Association were reported in our April 4, 2006 news item,
New State of America's Libraries report documents positive, expanding role of libraries.
Libraries Connect Communities: Public Library Funding and Technology Access Study (PLFTAS)
The newest report in this series, Libraries Connect Communities: Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study 2010-2011 assesses public access to computers, the Internet, and Internet-related services in U.S. public libraries, and the impact of library funding changes on connectivity, technology deployment, and sustainability. A project overview of the study is available online at the <http://www.ala.org/plinternetfunding> shortcut address. The study builds on the longest-running and largest study of Internet connectivity in public libraries, Public Libraries & the Internet, begun in 1994 by John Carlo Bertot and Charles R. McClure. ALA's Office for Research and Statistics maintains the Previous studies about public libraries and the Internet page on the ALA website. Similar to 2010, the report was released earlier than usual, in June, the same week of the start of the 2011 ALA Annual Conference (instead of in September during Library Card Sign-Up Month).
Access the full Libraries Connect Communities 2010-2011 Press Kit and additional press materials for 2011. And find helpful resources on how to use study findings for your local library and library supporters using the NEW Data in Action!
This latest report's findings were summarized in our June 21, 2011 news item, New library study: demand up for technology, budget cuts limit access, stating that U.S. public libraries continue to expand as technology centers for communities, providing essential resources for job-seekers and support for critical e-government services. Not surprisingly, libraries report again that services for job-seekers rate as the most important public Internet service provided to the community. Yet, 56 percent of libraries report they do not have enough staff to effectively assist job-seekers. In addition, as the demand for e-books increases, libraries are the starting place for free downloads. However, budget cuts have forced libraries across the country to scale back drastically on operating hours and access to services, just when resources are most needed. While 70 percent of libraries report increased use of public computers, and more than half of libraries report an increase in use of electronic resources, 55 percent of urban libraries report operating budget decreases during the current fiscal year, followed by suburban (36 percent) and rural (26 percent) libraries. At the same time, 16 percent of libraries report decreased operating hours, a jump from 4.5 percent just two years ago. For the third year, the greatest impact was experienced by those living in urban communities; nearly 32 percent of urban libraries report reduction of open hours, up from 23.7 percent last year.
Additional key findings on the state of Internet availability in public libraries include:
- 99.3% of public libraries offer free access to computers and the Internet;
- Over 64% of libraries report that they are the only source of free Internet access in their communities;
- 70% of libraries report public use of Internet computers increased in 2010;
- More than two-thirds (67 percent) of libraries offer access to e-books, up 12 percent from two years ago, up 30 percent since 2007 -- See the E-books in U.S. Public Libraries (MAP), 2010-2011 Study;
- More than 74 percent of libraries offer software and other resources to help patrons create resumes and employment materials;
- 72 percent of libraries report that staff helped patrons complete online job applications;
- A majority (60%) of libraries report flat or decreased operating budgets in FY2010, a jump from 40% in FY2009; and
- 16% of all libraries report decreased hours of operation. This translates to lost hours at more than 2,600 branches.
ALA's Office for Research and Statistics has released Issues Briefs from the Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study that further spotlight the findings: Job-Seeking in US Public Libraries page (updated June 2011); U.S. Public Libraries and E-Government Services (PDF; updated June 2011).
Those Issue Briefs released and updated from 2008-2010 are archived: A Perfect Storm Brewing: Budget Cuts Threaten Library Services at Time of Increased Demand (PDF; published January 14, 2010; revised March 4, 2010); Supporting Learners in Public Libraries (PDF; published March 2009; updated October 2009); and Internet Connectivity in U.S. Public Libraries (PDF; published April 2008; updated October 2009).
More issues briefs are available from our research partners at the Information Policy & Access Center at the University of Maryland.
Findings of the Libraries Connect Communities: Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study 2009–2010 were summarized in our June 21, 2010 news item, Libraries report increased use of e-government, job resources; reduced operating hours, stating that libraries across the country have reported an increase in public use of online services, particularly to support e-government and job seeking transactions, and have made some gains in adding public computers and improving Internet connections available to patrons. However, snowballing funding cuts at state and local levels are forcing thousands of libraries to literally lock away access to these resources as they reduce operating hours. From unemployment benefits to state tax forms, more government information and services are moving online, often without a print alternative. Responding to growing demand from people for assistance using these new forms of government services, nearly 79 percent of libraries (up from 54 percent one year ago) provide assistance to patrons applying or accessing government services. Eighty-eight percent of libraries provide free access to job databases and other job services, and 67 percent report library staff helped patrons complete online job applications. Libraries also provide access to civil service exam materials (75 percent) and software to help patrons create resumes and other employment materials (69 percent). Nationally, 62% of unemployed people used their public library last year. Nearly 15 percent of libraries (or roughly 2,400 locations) report reduced operating hours, with urban libraries leading the trend with nearly one-quarter reporting fewer hours in 2009. More than half (55 percent) of urban libraries report funding cuts between FY2009 and FY2010. Access the Libraries Connect Communities 2009-2010 Press Kit, which includes the Key Study Results and Findings, 2009-2010 (PDF) as well as more survey findings and online extras - maps, state summaries.
Findings of the Libraries Connect Communities: Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study 2008–2009 appear in the September 15, 2009 news item, In down economy, libraries are on frontline of connecting Americans with online government, job resources: Sustained funding, broadband improvements needed to meet increased demand. Access the 2008-2009 Public Library Funding and Technology Access Study Press Kit, which includes a podcast, study summary, and especially the modernized take on the National Library Symbol -- the silhouette typing on a laptop computer -- in three sizes, in both blue and black versions. ALA's Larra Clark explained about the symbol: All hail Brian Benson, an Illinois graphic designer, who did the work for the ALA Office for Research & Statistics. It belongs to the library community, so feel free to make use of it. Also see additional press materials for 2009.
Findings of the Libraries Connect Communities: Public Library Funding and Technology Access Study 2007-2008 appear in the September 2, 2008 news item, Public libraries report double-digit growth in Internet services in one year: Availability of online homework help, e-books, premium Web content jump. Also see additional press materials for 2008.
Findings of the Libraries Connect Communities: Public Library Funding and Technology Access Study 2006-2007 appear in our September 12, 2007 news item, Public libraries are sole source of online employment and education information for millions of Americans: Internet use at public libraries flourishes but technical, financial support lags. Also see additional press materials for 2007.
Usage Reported By Libraries - Public Library Survey (PLS) federal report
The most current federal statistics report on public libraries, Public Libraries in the United States: Fiscal Year 2009 (2011), was published in October of 2011. The Public Library Survey (PLS) reports are presently conducted by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and give the most recent usage statistics as reported by libraries.
The Executive Summary at the beginning of the 233-page Adobe Reader PDF document linked there noted (on page 15) --
Visitation and circulation per capita have both increased in public libraries over the past 10 years. Per capita visitation increased 5 percent from the prior year. Visitation and circulation were highest in suburban public libraries. The number of public libraries has increased over the past 10 years. However, this growth has been outpaced by changes in the population. The nature and composition of collections in U.S. public libraries is changing, indicating the more varied types of materials found in modern public libraries. Although the volume of print materials has decreased over the past 10 years, collections overall continue to grow because of increases in the number of audio, video, and electronic book materials. The role of public libraries in providing Internet resources to the public continues to increase. The availability of Internet-ready computer terminals in public libraries has doubled over the past 10 years. Internet PC use has also increased.
The extensive Findings (on pages 16-44 of the 233-page PDF) explained --
In FY2009, public libraries had 1.59 billion visits, an increase of 5.7 percent from 1.50 billion in the previous year. Library visitation per capita has increased over the past 10 years... On average, individuals within a library service area visited the public library over five times (5.3), an increase of 5.0 percent from FY2008 and a 10-year increase of 24.3 percent since FY2000. Overall, the nation's public libraries circulated 2.41 billion materials in FY2009. Circulation per capita provides a measure of how many people within a public library service area checked out materials. Like visitation, circulation per capita has also increased over the past 10 years, with a per-person circulation of 8.1 in FY2009... This is an increase of 5.2 percent from FY2008 and a 10-year increase of 26.1 percent since FY2000. Circulation of children's materials has also increased. Per capita circulation of children's materials was 2.7 in FY2009, a 3.1 percent increase from the previous year and a 10-year increase of 17.0 percent. Circulation per visits is an indication of how often someone who goes to a public library checked out materials during their visit, which allows us to examine how patterns of library use may be changing. Circulation per 1,000 visits in FY2009 was 1,517... Although there was an initial increase of 2.3 percent from FY2000 to 2003, overall the metric has been stable across the observed period (FY2000- 2009), with a 10-year net increase of 1.5 percent, fluctuating from a low in FY2000 (1,495) to a high in FY2003 (1,530). Circulation of children's material per 1,000 visits was 513 in FY2009, which is a decline of 1.8 percent since FY2000. Circulation of children's material comprises 33.8 percent of total circulation, which is down 2.0 percent from FY2008. In order to examine differences in visitation and circulation per capita in FY2009, these metrics are broken out by locale. Both visitation and circulation were highest in suburban areas... For public libraries in suburban areas, visitation per capita was 5.9 and circulation per capita was 9.6, rates that were 9.6 percent and 17.8 percent above the national average, respectively. In general, per capita visitation and circulation were lower in towns and rural areas.
The 9,225 respondent libraries in Public Libraries in the United States: Fiscal Year 2009 (2011) reported specifically:
| Total visits to libraries |
1,591,293,000 |
5.4 visits per capita |
|---|---|---|
| Total library circulation |
2,414,347,000 |
8.1 items per capita |
| Circulation of children's materials |
816,719,000 |
33.8% of total circulation |
Library Card Holders
As mentioned above, the most current federal statistics report on public libraries, Public Libraries in the United States: Fiscal Year 2009 (2011), was published in October of 2011, and these reports are presently conducted by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and give the most recent usage statistics as reported by libraries, with numbers from each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. With this edition of the report is only the second appearance of a "Number of Registered Borrowers" data element, which is defined in the Administrative Entity Data Element Definitions (on page 224 of the 233-page PDF document):
A registered borrower is a library user who has applied for and received an identification number or card from the public library that has established conditions under which the user may borrow library materials and gain access to other library resources. (Output Measures for Public Libraries, 2nd edition). Note: Files should have been purged within the past three (3) years.
On pages 80-81 is Table 8. Number of public library services and library services per capita, by type of service and state: Fiscal year 2009, which reports (with 96.2% response rate) a total 169,719,000 Number of Registered Borrowers at 0.6 per capita.
Findings of the Public Library Survey (PLS), FY2009 mentioned (on page 18) --
Over 169.7 million people were registered to borrow books at public libraries, comprising 57.1 percent of the population in the legal service area. This is a 4.8 percent increase from the number of registered borrowers in FY2006, the first year in which this information was collected in the PLS.
Usage Reported By Households
The newest numbers sourced from households come from the January 2011 Harris Interactive Poll (PDF) mentioned in relation to the 2011 State of America's Libraries: A Report from the American Library Association above. As noted in the Methodology section of the ALA January 2011 Harris Poll Quorum Results, for this poll created for the American Library Association and presented by Harris Interactive: "This Harris Poll National Quorum was conducted by telephone within the United States between January 19 and 23, 2011 among 1,012 adults aged 18 or older. Results were weighted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region, number of adults, and number of voice/telephone lines in the household where necessary to align them with their actual proportions in the population." As previously noted, the Great Recession may have come to an end, but hard-pressed Americans continue to turn to their local libraries for help in finding a job or launching their own business:
- Sixty-five percent of those polled said they had visited the library in the past year; women are significantly more likely than men (72 percent vs. 58 percent) to fall into this category, especially working women, working mothers and women aged 18-54.
- Overall, 58 percent of those surveyed said they had a library card, and the largest group was, again, women, especially working women and working mothers. College graduates and those with a household income of more than $100,000 were also well represented among card holders, according to the survey.
- Thirty-one percent of adults rank the library at the top of their list of tax-supported services.
Previous Household Surveys, conducted in conjunction with KRC Research and Harris Interactive, for the years 2002 and then 2006 through 2010, on public library usage and attitudes, can be found at ALA's Research & Statistics: Public Libraries.
Federal public library usage statistics from households were last collected in the October 2002 Current Population Survey Library Supplement, in Households Use of Public and Other Types of Libraries: 2002, which was released in January 2007 via the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The survey was conducted October 13-19, 2002. The Current Population Survey (CPS) is a monthly survey of households conducted by the Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Data are collected from a sample of 50,000 to 60,000 households through personal and telephone interviews.
Usage Reported By Racial/Ethnic Group
The Households Use of Public and Other Types of Libraries: 2002 found that:
- Among households with children under 18, a larger percentage of Black and Asian households (25 percent and 26 percent respectively) use a public library in the past month for a school assignment than did white or Hispanic households (22 percent and 20 percent respectively)
- A smaller proportion of white, non-Hispanic households (8 percent) than Black, non- Hispanic households (13 percent), Hispanic households (12 percent), Asian/Pacific Islander households (11 percent) or mixed households (12 percent) used a public library in the past month to use a computer or the Internet (table 22).
NOTE: This greater use of computers at public libraries by minorities than by whites may reflect the greater availability of computers in White and Asian households. A recent NCES study reported that "[Among American school children,] White and Asians are more likely to use computers at home than are Blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians." (DeBell, M., and Chapman, C. [2006]. Computer and Internet Use by Students in 2003 [NCES 2006-065]. U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics.)
Unpublished statistics concerning library use by persons of different racial/ethnic groups based on data from the survey described above were included in "Using Public Libraries: What Makes a Difference?" in the November 1997 issue of American Libraries. The following table is taken from that article.
| White | Black | Hispanic | Asian/Pacific Island | American Indian/ Native Alaskan |
Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Used library in last month |
44% |
45% |
41% |
53% |
46% |
51% |
| Used library in last year |
65% |
63% |
58% |
72% |
65% |
66% |
Library Use Studies - User-specific
Non-English Speakers
Serving Non-English Speakers in U.S. Public Libraries: 2007 Analysis of Library Demographics, Services and Programs -- Study provides new information about library services and programs developed for non-English speakers, including effectiveness of services, barriers to library use, most frequently used services and most success library programs by language served.
Youth/Children and Young Adults
Youth Use of Public and School Libraries (2007) -- Conducted online by Harris Interactive within the United States between June 13 and 21, 2007, among 1,262 youth, aged 8 - 18, for the American Library Association; see the press release dated July 24, 2007, Youth and library use studies show gains in serving young adults, for details.
Notable Previous Reports
In 2010, news stories nationwide pointed to the increased library use due to the recession -- as a 2002 report from ALA pointed out it would:
Economic Hard Times and Public Library Use Revisited by Dr. Mary Jo Lynch (former Director of the Office for Research and Statistics), August 2002 American Libraries, pp. 62-63
Public Library Use and Economic Hard Times: Analysis of Recent Data (PDF): Report prepared for the American Library Association by The Library Research Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, April 18, 2002
However, a by-product of a troubled economy can be dangerous budget cuts that lessen library services to a community - leaving fewer staff and/or hours of operation -- or that eliminate library services from the community altogether. And just when these services are needed most.
As reported in our January 12, 2010 news item announcing The Condition of Libraries: 1999-2009 (PDF) by ALA's Office for Research and Statistics, New ALA report details economic trends in libraries and 2010 outlook:
At every turn, news reports and research indicate fairly dramatic changes in U.S. library funding, services and staffing – most occurring in the last 18 months. According to a new report prepared by the American Library Association (ALA), libraries of all types are feeling the pinch of the economic downturn while managing sky-high use.
Just before National Library Week in 2010 came the U.S. IMPACT Public Library Study press release, dated March 25, 2010, First-ever National Study: Millions of People Rely on Library Computers for Employment, Health, and Education, announcing:
Nearly one-third of Americans age 14 or older – roughly 77 million people – used a public library computer or wireless network to access the Internet in the past year, according to a national report released today. In 2009, as the nation struggled through a recession, people relied on library technology to find work, apply for college, secure government benefits, learn about critical medical treatments, and connect with their communities.
The report, Opportunity for All: How the American Public Benefits from Internet Access at U.S. Libraries (PDF), is based on the first, large-scale study of who uses public computers and Internet access in public libraries, the ways library patrons use this free technology service, why they use it, and how it affects their lives. It was conducted by the University of Washington Information School and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
In September 2008, a Harris Poll from Harris Interactive (PDF) reported that 68 percent of Americans have a library card, while 76 percent of Americans visited their local library in the past year. In that same time period, 41 percent of Americans visited the web site of their local library. For full details, see our September 23, 2008 news item, New national poll shows library card registration reaches historic high: Three-quarters of library card holders visited their local libraries in past year.
NOTE: Previous versions of this fact sheet can be accessed via the Internet Archive Wayback Machine using the original URL <http://www.ala.org/library/fact6.html>. And this URL still works as a "shortcut" link to this web page.
Last updated: January 2012
