Public library use includes much more than borrowing books. The figures below cover visits, cards, websites, circulation, programs, public computers, Wi-Fi, digital media, and technology assistance. They span national surveys and fiscal-year measurements from 2010 through 2023, so the dates and populations are important when comparing results.
Contents
- Public library reach and recent use
- What visitors borrowed and did
- Visits, circulation, revenue, and staffing
- Programs and access to computers
- Digital collections and practical services
- Connectivity and technology capacity
Public library reach and recent use
The Pew Research Center’s 2013 public library use survey measured Americans ages 16 and older. It found that 81% had visited a public library or bookmobile at some point in their lives, while 48% had done so during the previous 12 months. A library card was held by 61% of this age group in September 2013.
Online access was also a substantial part of library use. In 2013, 44% of Americans ages 16 and older had ever visited a public library website, and 30% had visited one during the previous 12 months. The latter figure was up from 25% in 2012. Combining physical and online use, 86% had ever used a public library either in person or online, and 54% had personally used a library in some way during the previous year. (Pew Research Center, 2013 public library use)
Library use also extended beyond the individual cardholder. In the same 2013 survey, 73% of Americans with a library card had used a public library during the previous 12 months. Among parents with minor children at home, 70% said a child in the household had visited a public library or bookmobile during that period. Overall, 72% of Americans ages 16 and older either used a public library in the past year or lived in a household where another family member or child used one. (Pew Research Center, 2013 public library use)
The Pew Research Center’s 2016 Libraries survey reported that 44% of adults had visited a library during the previous 12 months. In that same period, 27% had used a library website and 8% had used a public library mobile app. Among library website users, 49% used handheld mobile devices to access the site. (Pew Research Center, Libraries 2016)
What visitors borrowed and did
Borrowing print remained the most common activity measured in the 2016 Pew survey: 64% of library visitors borrowed print books. Libraries also served as places to read, study, or engage with media; 49% of library visitors reported going for that purpose. In addition, 27% attended classes, programs, or lectures during the last year.
Help from library staff was reported by 35% of library users in 2016. That share was lower than the 42% reported in 2015 and the 50% reported in 2012. These are survey results for the stated years, not a continuous measure of every library visit. (Pew Research Center, Libraries 2016)
The same survey shows how library use connects books with learning and media. Among library website users, 58% searched a library catalog, 44% reserved or placed holds on items, and 40% renewed books, DVDs, or CDs. Another 44% used a library website for research or homework help, 37% used online databases, and 31% read book reviews or got recommendations. (Pew Research Center, Libraries 2016)
Visits, circulation, revenue, and staffing
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) reported 1.5 billion in-person visits to public libraries in fiscal year 2012. Visitation was 20.7% higher than 10 years earlier. Public libraries circulated more than 2.2 billion materials, a 28.0% increase over the previous 10 years. Revenue reached $11.5 billion, up 7.2% over that 10-year period. (IMLS, FY 2012 Fast Facts)
The FY 2012 workforce included 136,851 full-time-equivalent staff, including 46,808 librarian FTEs. Public libraries also reported more than 92.6 million people attending 4.0 million programs. Program attendance rose 4.1% in one year and 37.6% over eight years. (IMLS, FY 2012 Fast Facts)
Earlier IMLS figures provide a different fiscal-year snapshot. In FY 2010, circulation reached 2.46 billion materials, described as the highest ever reported at that time. Physical visits fell 1.1% that year, even though Americans visited a public library an average of 5.3 times per year, a rate 21.7% higher than 10 years earlier.
FY 2010 revenue fell 3.5% from FY 2009. Adjusted for inflation, the loss equaled $407.79 million. Public libraries lost 3.9% of staff from FY 2008 to FY 2010, while librarian staffing fell 2.2% from FY 2009 to FY 2010. These historical figures should be read as measurements for their stated fiscal years. (IMLS, FY 2010 Fast Facts)
| Public-library measure | FY 2010 | FY 2012 |
|---|---|---|
| Circulation | 2.46 billion materials | More than 2.2 billion materials |
| Visits | 5.3 visits per American per year | 1.5 billion in-person visits |
| Programs | 3.75 million programs | 4.0 million programs |
| Program attendance | Not stated in the supplied FY 2010 figure | More than 92.6 million |
Programs and access to computers
IMLS reported 3.75 million library programs in FY 2010, with 61.5% designed for children. Children’s materials represented one-third of all materials circulated that year. The same FY 2010 facts reported that the number of e-books had tripled from FY 2003 to FY 2010 and that the number of computers available for patron use had doubled over the preceding 10 years. (IMLS, FY 2010 Fast Facts)
In FY 2012, public libraries had 271,146 public access computers. That total rose 3.7% in one year, and the computers recorded 340.5 million use sessions. These measures describe library-provided public access computers, not every device used inside a library. (IMLS, FY 2012 Fast Facts)
The 2023 Public Library Association technology survey adds detail about the types of organizations represented. City libraries made up 6% of administrative entities but served 37% of the population. Town and rural libraries made up 69% of administrative entities and served 22% of the population. In that survey, 39.5% of libraries offered maker production equipment and 24.6% offered digital media production equipment. (PLA, 2023 Public Library Technology Survey)
Digital collections and practical services
Digital borrowing was widespread in the 2023 PLA technology survey: 95.0% of libraries offered e-books or e-audiobooks, and 57.7% offered streaming or other downloadable media. Services also included homework assistance at 41.4% of libraries, job or employment resources at 71.5%, language learning at 50.2%, health resources at 60.7%, and genealogy tools at 73.1%.
Libraries offered several forms of remote and interactive help. Reference service through chat or text was available at 24.9% of libraries, while 32.1% offered videoconferencing software. Design software was offered by 14.0%. Website access was increasingly mobile-oriented: 83.3% of libraries said their website was optimized for mobile devices, 28.0% had a library-specific mobile app, and 85.1% offered vendor-delivered apps for accessing library services. Scanned codes such as QR codes were used for mobile access by 51.3%. (PLA, 2023 Public Library Technology Survey)
Digital literacy was nearly universal in the survey. A total of 95.3% of libraries provided at least one type of digital literacy training, and 95.3% offered any programming or training in the digital literacy section. Formal live online public programs or discussion forums were offered by 41.1%; live online classes or job training by 15.7%; and virtual reality experiences by 9.2%.
Some services focused directly on digital inclusion. Home broadband adoption services were formally offered by 9.7% of libraries, while 29.7% had a Digital Navigator program or equivalent assistance. State digital equity planning involved 14.0% of libraries, and 33.5% were involved in a local, state, or regional digital equity coalition. (PLA, 2023 Public Library Technology Survey)
Connectivity and technology capacity
The 2023 PLA survey reported that 99.4% of libraries offered patron Wi-Fi and 74.8% had fiber optic public access internet. Average subscribed download speed was 504 Mbps overall, while average subscribed upload speed was 441 Mbps. However, 28.4% of libraries fell below the FCC’s new 100/20 Mbps broadband threshold.
Most libraries said their technology often met patron needs: 90.4% reported that public computers often met needs, and 86.2% said the same about Wi-Fi. Cost prevented 30.5% from increasing bandwidth, and 40.1% were locked into a bandwidth contract, including E-rate. (PLA, 2023 Public Library Technology Survey)
Technology circulation extended access beyond the building. In the 2023 survey, 46.9% of libraries circulated internet hotspots for off-site use, 24.8% circulated laptops, 11.7% tablets, 14.0% e-readers, 28.9% early learning devices, 22.3% recreational technology, and 6.9% streaming devices.
Recent upgrades were common but not universal. During the previous two years, 65.8% of libraries upgraded public access computers, 75.5% upgraded staff computers, laptops, or tablets, and 56.3% upgraded firewalls or other security measures. Staff dedicated to website development and management were reported by 44.6% of libraries, while 58.5% had staff dedicated to social media account management. (PLA, 2023 Public Library Technology Survey)