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Digest of Education Statistics
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Table 701.60. Public libraries, books and serial volumes, and per capita usage of selected library services per year, by state: Fiscal years 2012 and 2013
State Number of public libraries1 Number of books and serial volumes Per capita2usage 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
2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 2013
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
United States 9,082 9,091 783,882 774,706 2.6 2.5 4.9 4.8 8.0 7.8 0.9 0.9 1.1 1.1
Alabama 219 220 9,671 9,636 2.1 2.1 3.6 3.5 4.5 4.5 0.9 0.9 1.0 1.0
Alaska 77 81 2,354 2,415 3.6 3.7 5.1 5.2 7.1 7.1 0.7 0.6 1.6 1.2
Arizona 91 90 8,399 8,427 1.3 1.3 4.3 4.2 7.8 7.2 0.7 0.9 1.0 1.0
Arkansas 56 57 6,501 6,579 2.5 2.5 4.1 4.0 5.4 5.5 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.8
California 183 183 68,912 67,641 1.8 1.8 4.3 4.4 6.1 6.0 0.6 0.6 0.9 0.9
                             
Colorado 115 114 11,367 10,823 2.2 2.1 6.5 6.4 13.1 12.9 0.9 0.8 1.4 1.4
Connecticut 183 183 14,522 14,464 4.3 4.2 6.9 6.5 9.7 9.2 1.1 1.0 1.5 1.4
Delaware 21 21 1,697 1,642 1.9 1.8 5.1 4.1 7.0 6.7 0.5 0.4 0.9 0.7
District of Columbia 1 1 1,334 1,802 2.1 2.9 4.0 3.9 5.3 5.2 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.4
Florida 79 80 32,481 31,351 1.7 1.6 4.3 4.1 6.6 6.3 1.6 1.4 1.0 1.0
                             
Georgia 61 61 16,637 16,089 1.6 1.5 3.2 2.9 4.2 3.9 0.9 0.9 1.3 1.2
Hawaii 1 1 3,394 3,372 2.5 2.4 3.9 3.7 5.0 4.8 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.5
Idaho 101 102 4,350 4,348 3.1 3.2 6.8 6.6 10.9 11.0 0.9 0.9 1.3 1.5
Illinois 622 623 43,846 43,378 3.7 3.7 6.6 6.5 10.3 10.2 1.2 0.9 1.3 1.2
Indiana 237 237 24,321 24,066 4.0 3.9 6.3 6.1 12.7 12.7 0.9 0.7 1.3 1.3
                             
Iowa 533 534 12,105 11,959 4.1 4.0 6.5 6.2 9.7 9.4 0.6 0.6 1.3 1.2
Kansas 321 319 9,473 9,289 3.8 3.7 6.0 5.7 10.7 10.6 0.8 0.8 1.6 1.6
Kentucky 119 119 8,803 8,878 2.0 2.0 4.5 4.4 6.8 6.9 0.9 0.9 1.1 1.1
Louisiana 68 68 11,934 11,649 2.6 2.5 3.7 3.6 4.5 4.4 0.9 0.9 1.4 1.4
Maine 229 232 5,964 6,121 5.2 5.3 6.2 6.0 8.4 8.2 0.6 0.6 1.2 1.1
                             
Maryland 24 24 13,022 12,927 2.3 2.2 5.1 4.9 10.0 10.0 1.5 1.4 1.2 1.2
Massachusetts 359 368 32,668 32,110 5.0 4.9 6.5 6.5 9.9 9.6 0.8 0.8 1.2 1.2
Michigan 389 388 33,728 33,411 3.4 3.4 5.7 5.4 8.9 8.8 1.0 1.0 1.2 1.2
Minnesota 138 137 15,164 14,779 2.8 2.8 4.9 4.7 10.5 10.1 0.6 0.7 1.2 1.1
Mississippi 51 52 5,734 5,687 1.9 1.9 3.2 3.2 2.8 2.7 0.5 0.5 0.9 0.9
                             
Missouri 147 149 17,220 17,157 3.2 3.1 5.6 5.5 10.0 10.3 0.7 0.7 1.2 1.2
Montana 82 82 2,700 2,630 2.7 2.7 4.7 4.7 7.6 6.3 0.5 0.5 1.6 1.5
Nebraska 265 263 5,949 5,888 4.1 3.9 6.0 5.7 9.4 8.3 0.6 0.5 1.6 1.5
Nevada 22 21 4,441 4,128 1.6 1.5 4.1 3.9 7.4 7.6 0.7 0.6 0.9 0.9
New Hampshire 218 218 5,874 5,864 6.0 6.0 7.7 7.6 11.6 11.0 0.8 0.8 1.2 1.0
                             
New Jersey 297 295 29,075 28,579 3.3 3.3 5.5 5.4 7.1 6.8 0.9 0.9 1.2 1.2
New Mexico 85 83 4,271 4,230 2.6 2.6 4.5 4.4 5.7 5.6 0.6 0.7 1.2 1.3
New York 756 756 70,074 70,955 3.6 3.7 5.9 5.7 8.2 7.9 1.6 1.5 1.2 1.2
North Carolina 77 80 16,519 16,517 1.7 1.7 4.2 3.7 5.7 5.4 1.1 0.9 0.9 0.9
North Dakota 75 75 2,294 2,298 3.7 3.6 3.8 3.5 6.7 6.5 0.6 0.6 1.0 0.9
                             
Ohio 251 251 44,120 43,543 3.8 3.8 7.6 7.5 16.4 16.1 1.8 1.9 1.8 1.9
Oklahoma 118 117 7,441 7,271 2.4 2.3 4.7 4.5 7.1 7.3 1.0 0.9 1.3 1.2
Oregon 128 129 9,926 9,948 2.7 2.7 6.3 6.0 17.2 16.3 0.7 0.7 1.3 1.1
Pennsylvania 456 455 26,694 26,392 2.2 2.1 3.8 3.7 5.6 5.5 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.8
Rhode Island 48 48 4,428 4,364 4.2 4.2 5.8 5.8 7.1 6.8 0.7 0.7 1.4 1.4
                             
South Carolina 42 42 9,343 9,206 2.0 2.0 3.9 4.0 5.6 5.7 0.7 0.7 1.0 1.1
South Dakota 112 111 2,988 2,848 4.0 3.9 5.3 5.4 8.9 9.5 0.6 0.6 1.9 1.8
Tennessee 185 186 11,525 11,640 1.8 1.8 3.4 3.2 4.2 4.1 0.6 0.6 0.9 0.8
Texas 551 544 40,707 39,977 1.7 1.7 3.2 3.1 5.5 5.0 0.6 0.6 0.8 0.8
Utah 72 71 6,964 6,705 2.5 2.4 6.8 6.5 13.5 13.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.1
                             
Vermont 163 167 2,881 2,857 4.9 4.8 6.5 6.4 7.8 7.7 0.9 0.9 1.5 1.5
Virginia 91 91 18,332 18,059 2.3 2.3 5.0 4.8 9.7 9.5 0.9 0.9 1.3 1.0
Washington 61 61 14,842 14,271 2.2 2.1 6.4 6.2 12.1 12.4 0.8 0.8 1.6 1.6
West Virginia 97 97 5,140 5,081 2.8 2.7 3.2 3.0 3.6 3.5 0.4 0.3 0.7 0.6
Wisconsin 382 381 19,265 18,997 3.4 3.3 6.3 6.1 11.1 11.0 0.8 0.8 1.2 1.1
Wyoming 23 23 2,488 2,459 4.4 4.3 6.4 6.3 8.8 8.6 0.9 0.9 1.7 1.6
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. In 2013, a total of 17,214 service outlets were open to the public: 8,905 central libraries, 7,640 branch libraries, and 669 bookmobiles.
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 2012 and 2013, retrieved March 16, 2016, from http://www.imls.gov/research/public_libraries_in_the_united_states_survey.aspx. (This table was prepared March 2016.)

2015 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest