Public library statistics show a broad national network that combines traditional access with digital services. The FY 2023 Public Libraries Survey counted 9,246 administrative entities in its survey universe, including 9,202 active libraries in the 50 states and the District of Columbia and 44 active libraries in outlying areas. Technology data from the 2023 Public Library Technology Survey adds detail about what libraries provide on-site, off-site, and online.
Contents
- How public libraries are counted
- Printing, devices, and maker technology
- Digital collections and practical resources
- Websites, apps, and digital inclusion
- Internet access and connection speeds
- What changed between 2020 and FY 2023
How public libraries are counted
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) says the Public Libraries Survey covers approximately 9,000 public libraries and about 17,000 individual public library outlets. Its geographic coverage includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and outlying territories. IMLS says the survey has been collected annually since 1988, while its available data files begin with 1992. These are survey-program facts about coverage and history, not estimates of a single year’s operating results.
The FY 2023 Public Libraries Survey was the 34th survey in the series. Its universe included 9,246 public-library administrative entities. Of those, 9,202 were active public libraries in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, and 44 were active public libraries in outlying areas. Six administrative entities were temporarily closed. The survey received responses from 8,909 public libraries, producing a unit response rate of about 96.4%, according to the FY 2023 PLS data documentation.
The response rate matters when reading the technology figures below. Percentages from the 2023 Public Library Technology Survey describe reported availability across its survey population; they do not mean that every outlet in the country offers each service. A library’s service mix can also differ by location, size, and local purpose.
Printing, devices, and maker technology
Basic document services were widely available in FY 2023. The 2023 Public Library Technology Survey reported on-site copy-machine availability at 98.5%, scanner availability at 93.7%, and color-printer availability at 92.4%. City libraries reported color-printer availability at 91.6%. Fax-machine availability was 78.5%, while wireless or mobile printing was 70.6%. Large-format printers were less common, at 22.1% overall.
Personal computing equipment was available at different levels. On-site laptop availability was 63.2%, tablet availability was 38.5%, and e-reader availability was 18.9%. Assistive technology was available at 31.7% of libraries. Smartboards were reported by 12.3%.
Several offerings connected technology with learning and hands-on activity. Early-learning devices were available on-site at 53.4% of libraries. Smart objects for STEAM were available at 50.7%, recreational video-gaming consoles at 36.5%, and maker-production equipment at 39.5%. Digital-media-production equipment was available at 24.6%, while virtual-reality headsets were available at 15.6%.
| FY 2023 on-site technology | Availability |
|---|---|
| Copy machine | 98.5% |
| Scanner | 93.7% |
| Color printer | 92.4% |
| Laptop | 63.2% |
| Early-learning device | 53.4% |
| Maker-production equipment | 39.5% |
| Virtual-reality headset | 15.6% |
Libraries also circulated technology for use away from the building. Off-site internet-hotspot circulation was reported by 46.9% of libraries. Off-site laptop circulation was 24.8%, early-learning-device circulation was 28.9%, and recreational-technology circulation was 22.3%. Off-site e-reader circulation was 14.0%, tablet circulation was 11.7%, and streaming-device circulation was 6.9%.
Digital collections and practical resources
Electronic reading was nearly universal in the FY 2023 technology survey: e-book and e-audiobook availability was 95.0%. Streaming and downloadable media availability was 57.7%. These measures describe whether the library made the resource available, not how many titles, licenses, downloads, or borrowers were involved.
The same survey measured resources that support everyday goals. Job and employment resources were available at 71.5% of libraries. Health resources were available at 60.7%, language-learning resources at 50.2%, and homework assistance at 41.4%. Genealogy tools were available at 73.1%.
Communication and collaboration tools were less consistently available. Chat or text reference was reported by 24.9% of libraries, and videoconferencing software by 32.1%. Design software was available at 14.0%. The range shows that a library’s digital service profile can extend well beyond the catalog while still varying substantially from one service to another.
Websites, apps, and digital inclusion
Mobile access was common, but it took several forms. In FY 2023, 83.3% of libraries reported a mobile-optimized website. Vendor-delivered app availability was 85.1%, while library-specific mobile-app availability was 28.0%. QR-code availability for mobile access was 51.3%. Technology-based mobile outreach was reported by 17.3%.
Digital-literacy support was one of the most prevalent services measured. Overall digital-literacy training availability was 95.3%, and 95.3% of libraries also said they offered some kind of programming or training on digital-literacy topics. Digital Navigator program availability was 29.7%.
Formal digital-equity participation was less widespread. Involvement in a state digital-equity plan was reported by 14.0% of libraries. Involvement in a local, state, or regional digital-equity coalition was 19.7%. These figures measure participation in named planning or coalition activities, not the full amount of digital-equity work performed by libraries.
Internet access and connection speeds
Wi-Fi was nearly universal in FY 2023: 99.4% of libraries reported availability. Fiber-optic public internet connection availability was 74.8%. The overall average subscribed download speed was 504 Mbps, and the overall average subscribed upload speed was 441 Mbps. City libraries reported an average subscribed download speed of 1,278 Mbps.
Connection tests produced lower overall averages than subscribed service figures. The overall wired-connection test download speed was 241 Mbps, with a test upload speed of 171 Mbps. The overall Wi-Fi test download speed was 122 Mbps, with a test upload speed of 88 Mbps. Subscribed speed describes the service plan, while a connection test reflects measured performance under the survey’s testing conditions.
The 2023 Public Library Technology Survey also reported how many libraries fell below two FCC thresholds based on subscribed speeds. The newer 100/20 Mbps broadband threshold was below the subscribed speeds of 28.4% of libraries. The older 25/3 Mbps threshold was below the subscribed speeds of 5.6% of libraries. These percentages should be read with the stated basis: subscribed speeds, not the wired or Wi-Fi test results above.
Public-computer connections often met patron needs for 90.4% of libraries. This is a reported assessment of whether connection speed often meets patron needs, rather than a direct measurement of every patron session.
What changed between 2020 and FY 2023
The 2020 Public Library Technology Survey represented 9,178 public libraries in its overall sample. Its weighted sample frame included 480 city libraries and 6,334 town or rural libraries. The weighted population of service areas was about 324 million. Those sample and weighting details belong to the 2020 survey and should not be substituted for the FY 2023 PLS administrative counts.
Several measures were available for both 2020 and FY 2023, allowing a descriptive comparison of reported availability. The figures are percentages from separate survey years; they do not establish a causal trend or prove that every library changed in the same direction.
| Measure | 2020 | FY 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| On-site color printer | 87.3% | 92.4% |
| On-site laptop | 53.1% | 63.2% |
| On-site early-learning device | 42.7% | 53.4% |
| Off-site internet hotspot | 32.6% | 46.9% |
| E-book and e-audiobook availability | 93.0% | 95.0% |
| Online job and employment resources | 63.5% | 71.5% |
| Mobile-optimized website | 62.6% | 83.3% |
| QR-code availability | 16.6% | 51.3% |
| Technology-based mobile outreach | 16.0% | 17.3% |
| Wi-Fi availability | 98.4% | 99.4% |
| Fiber-optic internet connection | 64.7% | 74.8% |
The 2020 survey also reported hardware-replacement-schedule availability at 57.4%. For subscribed download speed, 23.3% of single-outlet libraries with a response reported 100 Mbps as the most common value. Among multiple-outlet libraries with a response, 24.6% reported 1,000 Mbps as the most common fastest-outlet value, while 22.0% reported 100 Mbps as the most common slowest-outlet value.
Location structure affected the 2020 broadband results. Among single-outlet libraries with a response, 17.1% reported at least one location below the household broadband definition. Among multiple-outlet libraries with a response, the corresponding figure was 27.3%. These are 2020 survey findings, and the supplied source record identifies them as legacy research that was not independently verified here.
The strongest cross-year differences in the listed measures concern mobile access and equipment. Reported QR-code availability rose from 16.6% in 2020 to 51.3% in FY 2023, while mobile-optimized website availability rose from 62.6% to 83.3%. Off-site hotspot circulation rose from 32.6% to 46.9% in the supplied survey figures. Reading those values as descriptions of their respective measurement years keeps the comparison explicit without turning it into an unsupported forecast.