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Digest of Education Statistics: 2012
Digest of Education Statistics: 2012

NCES 2014-015
December 2013


Table 483. Public libraries, books and serial volumes, library visits, circulation, and reference transactions, by state: Fiscal years 2008 and 2009
State Number of public libraries Number of books and serial volumes Library visits per capita1 Circulation per capita2 Reference transactions per capita3
In thousands Per capita
2008 2009 2008 2009 2008 2009 2008 2009 2008 2009 2008 2009
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
United States 9,221 4  9,225 4  816,099 815,909 2.8 2.7 5.1 5.4 7.7 8.1 1.0 1.0
Alabama 210   210   9,615 9,546 2.2 2.1 3.5 3.7 4.4 4.6 0.8 0.9
Alaska 86   87   2,491 2,532 3.7 3.7 5.1 5.1 6.3 6.4 0.6 0.7
Arizona 86   89   8,619 8,807 1.3 1.3 4.0 4.4 7.3 7.4 0.7 0.7
Arkansas 51   52   6,450 6,578 2.4 2.5 3.7 4.0 4.9 5.3 0.7 0.7
California 181   181   74,197 75,299 2.0 2.0 4.5 4.8 5.8 6.2 0.9 0.9
                             
Colorado 115   114   12,039 11,916 2.5 2.4 6.3 6.7 12.0 13.0 1.2 1.2
Connecticut 195   195   15,609 15,646 4.4 4.5 6.8 7.0 9.4 9.7 1.4 1.3
Delaware 21   21   1,991 1,701 2.5 2.2 5.5 5.6 10.4 10.5 0.6 0.6
District of
     Columbia
1   1   2,063 2,130 3.5 3.6 4.6 4.9 3.0 3.9 1.4 1.4
Florida 80   80   32,736 32,643 1.7 1.7 4.5 4.8 6.2 6.8 1.6 1.6
                             
Georgia 59   61   16,087 16,341 1.7 1.7 4.0 4.3 4.7 5.1 1.0 0.9
Hawaii 1   1   3,399 3,383 2.6 2.6 4.6 4.7 5.5 5.6 0.7 0.7
Idaho 104   104   4,192 4,275 3.1 3.2 6.4 6.8 9.4 10.3 0.8 0.9
Illinois 634   634   45,263 45,250 3.9 3.8 6.6 7.0 9.0 9.7 1.2 1.2
Indiana 238   238   25,873 25,672 4.5 4.5 7.2 7.4 13.7 14.1 1.0 1.0
                             
Iowa 539   541   12,235 12,143 4.1 4.1 6.3 6.5 9.6 9.7 0.6 0.6
Kansas 327   328   10,381 10,314 4.4 4.3 6.2 6.6 11.4 11.8 1.1 1.1
Kentucky 116   117   8,674 8,849 2.1 2.1 4.4 4.5 6.7 6.9 0.9 0.7
Louisiana 68   68   11,641 11,651 2.6 2.6 3.3 3.5 4.0 4.2 1.2 1.4
Maine 272   269   6,505 6,536 5.4 5.4 5.9 5.9 7.7 7.9 0.6 0.6
                             
Maryland 24   24   14,378 13,892 2.6 2.5 5.9 6.1 9.9 10.7 1.1 1.3
Massachusetts 370   370   32,713 32,969 5.1 5.1 6.5 6.5 8.4 8.9 0.9 0.8
Michigan 384   384   34,556 35,539 3.5 3.6 5.5 6.0 8.0 8.6 0.9 1.0
Minnesota 138   138   14,762 15,535 2.8 2.9 5.5 5.6 10.7 11.2 0.8 0.7
Mississippi 50   50   5,530 5,556 1.9 1.9 3.0 3.2 2.9 3.0 0.6 0.6
                             
Missouri 152   150   18,034 17,592 3.5 3.4 5.5 5.9 9.4 10.1 1.1 1.1
Montana 80   80   2,732 2,731 3.0 3.0 4.5 4.9 6.5 6.9 0.5 0.5
Nebraska 270   269   6,643 6,345 5.1 4.7 6.9 6.8 10.5 10.4 0.9 0.8
Nevada 22   22   5,405 4,782 2.0 1.8 4.0 4.3 6.5 7.2 0.7 0.6
New Hampshire 231   230   6,210 6,217 4.7 4.7 5.6 5.9 8.4 8.9 0.6 0.6
                             
New Jersey 303   301   30,342 30,230 3.6 3.6 5.9 6.1 7.3 7.8 1.0 1.0
New Mexico 91   91   4,578 4,615 2.9 2.9 4.8 5.0 6.3 6.5 0.9 0.8
New York 755   756   74,635 75,760 3.9 4.0 6.2 6.3 8.2 8.4 1.5 1.5
North Carolina 77   77   16,833 16,907 1.9 1.8 4.1 4.8 5.8 6.0 1.3 1.4
North Dakota 81   85   2,453 2,575 4.3 4.5 4.3 4.4 7.2 7.8 0.7 0.8
                             
Ohio 251   251   46,893 45,818 4.1 4.0 8.0 8.0 16.7 17.0 1.8 1.8
Oklahoma 115   115   7,249 7,278 2.4 2.4 4.9 7.0 7.0 7.1 0.7 0.7
Oregon 126   127   9,407 9,927 2.8 2.7 6.6 6.8 15.4 15.4 0.8 0.8
Pennsylvania 457   458   29,837 28,180 2.5 2.4 4.0 4.1 5.8 6.0 0.7 0.7
Rhode Island 48   48   4,420 4,334 4.2 4.1 6.0 6.4 7.0 7.3 0.8 0.8
                             
South Carolina 42   42   9,421 9,430 2.1 2.2 3.8 4.2 5.4 6.1 1.1 1.2
South Dakota 114   112   3,134 3,096 4.5 4.2 5.6 5.4 8.4 8.4 0.9 0.9
Tennessee 187   186   11,595 11,754 1.9 1.9 3.4 3.5 4.1 4.0 0.7 0.6
Texas 561   559   41,797 41,749 1.9 1.8 3.3 3.5 4.9 5.1 0.7 0.7
Utah 69   71   6,556 6,744 2.5 2.5 6.7 7.0 13.0 13.4 1.7 1.9
                             
Vermont 183   184   2,900 2,964 4.8 4.9 6.4 6.5 7.7 7.8 0.8 0.8
Virginia 91   91   19,181 19,151 2.5 2.5 5.2 5.5 9.2 9.8 1.0 1.0
Washington 64   63   16,433 15,377 2.5 2.3 6.5 6.7 12.1 12.9 1.0 0.9
West Virginia 97   97   5,119 5,213 2.8 2.9 3.3 3.4 4.2 4.3 0.5 0.5
Wisconsin 381   380   19,843 19,956 3.5 3.5 6.3 6.4 10.9 11.5 0.9 0.9
Wyoming 23   23   2,447 2,484 4.7 4.7 6.8 7.1 9.0 9.5 1.1 1.2
1 The number of visits (entering the library for any purpose) per person during the year.
2 The number of library materials lent per person during the year.
3 A reference transaction is an information contact that involves the knowledge, use, recommendations, interpretation, or instructions in the use of one or more information sources by a member of the library staff.
4 In 2008, of the 9,221 public libraries in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, 7,469 were single-outlet libraries and 1,752 were multiple-outlet libraries. In 2009, of the 9,225 public libraries in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, 7,466 were single-outlet libraries and 1,759 were multiple-outlet libraries. Single-outlet libraries consist of a central library, bookmobile, or books-by-mail-only outlet. Multiple-outlet libraries have two or more direct service outlets, including some combination of one central library, branch(es), bookmobile(s), and/or books-by-mail-only outlets.
NOTE: Data include imputations for nonresponse. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Per capita figures are based on unduplicated populations of the areas served by public libraries.
SOURCE: Institute of Museum and Library Services, Public Libraries Survey, fiscal years 2008 and 2009, retrieved October 28, 2011, from https://harvester.census.gov/imls/pubs/pls/index.asp. (This table was prepared October 2011.)