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Digest of Education Statistics
2014 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 701.60. Public libraries, books and serial volumes, and per capita usage of selected library services per year, by state: Fiscal years 2011 and 2012
State Number of public libraries1 Number of books and serial volumes Per capita2  usage of selected services per year
In thousands Per capita2 Number of library visits3 Circulation (number of materials lent) Reference transactions4 Uses of public-access internet computers
2011 2012 2011 2012 2011 2012 2011 2012 2011 2012 2011 2012 2011 2012
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
United States 8,956 9,082 791,183 783,882 2.6 2.6 5.1 4.9 8.1 8.0 1.0 0.9 1.1 1.1
Alabama 212 219 9,766 9,671 2.1 2.1 3.7 3.6 4.4 4.5 0.9 0.9 0.9 1.0
Alaska 72 77 2,271 2,354 3.2 3.6 4.7 5.1 6.4 7.1 0.6 0.7 1.3 1.6
Arizona 90 91 9,601 8,399 1.5 1.3 4.4 4.3 7.9 7.8 0.6 0.7 0.9 1.0
Arkansas 55 56 6,611 6,501 2.5 2.5 4.1 4.1 5.7 5.4 0.9 0.8 1.3 0.8
California 182 183 70,531 68,912 1.9 1.8 4.5 4.3 6.5 6.1 0.7 0.6 0.9 0.9
                             
Colorado 114 115 11,454 11,367 2.3 2.2 6.6 6.5 13.0 13.1 1.0 0.9 1.4 1.4
Connecticut 183 183 14,610 14,522 4.3 4.3 6.9 6.9 9.8 9.7 1.1 1.1 1.5 1.5
Delaware 21 21 1,657 1,697 1.8 1.9 4.9 5.1 6.0 7.0 0.5 0.5 0.8 0.9
District of Columbia 1 1 1,466 1,334 2.4 2.1 4.3 4.0 5.0 5.3 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.3
Florida 77 79 32,483 32,481 1.7 1.7 4.5 4.3 6.8 6.6 1.7 1.6 1.1 1.0
                             
Georgia 61 61 16,660 16,637 1.6 1.6 3.4 3.2 4.5 4.2 1.0 0.9 1.3 1.3
Hawaii 1 1 3,375 3,394 2.5 2.5 3.6 3.9 5.1 5.0 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.4
Idaho 101 101 4,358 4,350 3.1 3.1 6.4 6.8 10.9 10.9 0.9 0.9 1.3 1.3
Illinois 621 622 44,091 43,846 3.8 3.7 7.1 6.6 10.4 10.3 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.3
Indiana 238 237 24,342 24,321 4.3 4.0 6.7 6.3 13.6 12.7 1.0 0.9 1.5 1.3
                             
Iowa 531 533 12,183 12,105 4.0 4.1 6.6 6.5 9.8 9.7 0.6 0.6 1.3 1.3
Kansas 311 321 9,517 9,473 3.9 3.8 6.2 6.0 11.0 10.7 0.9 0.8 1.8 1.6
Kentucky 118 119 8,953 8,803 2.1 2.0 4.6 4.5 6.9 6.8 0.8 0.9 1.1 1.1
Louisiana 68 68 11,876 11,934 2.6 2.6 3.6 3.7 4.4 4.5 0.9 0.9 1.5 1.4
Maine 214 229 5,855 5,964 5.1 5.2 6.1 6.2 8.3 8.4 0.5 0.6 1.1 1.2
                             
Maryland 24 24 12,953 13,022 2.3 2.3 5.4 5.1 10.2 10.0 1.4 1.5 1.1 1.2
Massachusetts 359 359 32,576 32,668 5.0 5.0 6.4 6.5 9.9 9.9 0.8 0.8 1.2 1.2
Michigan 389 389 34,080 33,728 3.5 3.4 5.9 5.7 9.2 8.9 1.0 1.0 1.4 1.2
Minnesota 138 138 15,457 15,164 2.9 2.8 5.2 4.9 11.1 10.5 0.7 0.6 1.3 1.2
Mississippi 50 51 5,698 5,734 1.9 1.9 3.4 3.2 2.9 2.8 0.6 0.5 0.9 0.9
                             
Missouri 147 147 16,961 17,220 3.1 3.2 5.7 5.6 9.9 10.0 1.0 0.7 1.2 1.2
Montana 81 82 2,781 2,700 2.8 2.7 4.7 4.7 7.6 7.6 0.5 0.5 1.4 1.6
Nebraska 216 265 5,733 5,949 4.0 4.1 6.0 6.0 9.7 9.4 0.7 0.6 1.6 1.6
Nevada 22 22 4,523 4,441 1.7 1.6 4.1 4.1 7.1 7.4 0.7 0.7 0.9 0.9
New Hampshire 221 218 5,965 5,874 6.0 6.0 8.0 7.7 11.7 11.6 0.8 0.8 1.0 1.2
                             
New Jersey 281 297 28,671 29,075 3.3 3.3 5.6 5.5 7.2 7.1 1.0 0.9 1.2 1.2
New Mexico 82 85 4,508 4,271 2.8 2.6 5.0 4.5 6.3 5.7 0.7 0.6 1.2 1.2
New York 756 756 71,909 70,074 3.8 3.6 6.1 5.9 8.6 8.2 1.4 1.6 1.2 1.2
North Carolina 77 77 16,620 16,519 1.7 1.7 4.3 4.2 5.7 5.7 1.2 1.1 1.0 0.9
North Dakota 76 75 2,349 2,294 3.9 3.7 3.9 3.8 6.6 6.7 0.6 0.6 0.9 1.0
                             
Ohio 251 251 44,570 44,120 3.9 3.8 7.7 7.6 16.6 16.4 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8
Oklahoma 117 118 7,394 7,441 2.4 2.4 4.5 4.7 7.2 7.1 0.9 1.0 1.3 1.3
Oregon 126 128 9,910 9,926 2.7 2.7 6.5 6.3 17.2 17.2 0.7 0.7 1.3 1.3
Pennsylvania 456 456 27,363 26,694 2.2 2.2 3.9 3.8 5.5 5.6 0.7 0.6 0.7 0.7
Rhode Island 48 48 4,585 4,428 4.4 4.2 5.8 5.8 7.5 7.1 0.7 0.7 1.4 1.4
                             
South Carolina 42 42 9,480 9,343 2.0 2.0 3.9 3.9 5.7 5.6 1.1 0.7 1.1 1.0
South Dakota 103 112 2,887 2,988 4.1 4.0 5.6 5.3 8.8 8.9 0.6 0.6 1.5 1.9
Tennessee 185 185 11,445 11,525 1.8 1.8 3.3 3.4 4.1 4.2 0.6 0.6 0.9 0.9
Texas 553 551 41,284 40,707 1.8 1.7 3.3 3.2 5.1 5.5 0.7 0.6 0.8 0.8
Utah 72 72 6,800 6,964 2.5 2.5 7.1 6.8 13.8 13.5 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.2
                             
Vermont 159 163 2,874 2,881 5.3 4.9 7.0 6.5 8.9 7.8 0.9 0.9 1.6 1.5
Virginia 91 91 18,723 18,332 2.4 2.3 5.3 5.0 9.9 9.7 1.0 0.9 1.1 1.3
Washington 61 61 13,972 14,842 2.1 2.2 6.7 6.4 12.9 12.1 0.8 0.8 1.4 1.6
West Virginia 97 97 5,356 5,140 3.0 2.8 3.2 3.2 4.0 3.6 0.4 0.4 0.8 0.7
Wisconsin 382 382 19,648 19,265 3.5 3.4 6.3 6.3 11.3 11.1 0.9 0.8 1.3 1.2
Wyoming 23 23 2,450 2,488 4.3 4.4 6.8 6.4 9.2 8.8 0.9 0.9 1.7 1.7
1 “Number of public libraries” refers to the number of administrative entities that are legally established under local or state law to provide public library service to the population of a local jurisdiction. A public library (administrative entity) may have a single outlet that provides direct service to the public, or it may have multiple service outlets. Outlets can be central libraries, branch libraries, bookmobiles, or books-by-mail-only outlets. In 2011, there were a total of 17,110 service outlets; in 2012, there were 17,219 service outlets.
2 Per capita (or per person) data are based on unduplicated populations of the areas served by public libraries.
3 Includes only the number of physical visits (entering the library for any purpose). The survey does not collect data on the number of online visits.
4 A reference transaction is an information contact that involves the knowledge, use, recommendations, interpretation, or instruction in the use of one or more information sources by a member of the library staff.
NOTE: Data include imputations for nonresponse. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: Institute of Museum and Library Services, Public Libraries Survey, fiscal years 2011 and 2012, retrieved March 2, 2015, from http://www.imls.gov/research/public_libraries_in_the_united_states_survey.aspx. (This table was prepared April 2015.)

2014 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest