FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 19, 2008

Press Contacts
202-653-4632
Jeannine Mjoseth, jmjoseth@imls.gov
Mamie Bittner, mbittner@imls.gov

IMLS Publishes FY 2006 Public Libraries Survey Report

Washington, DC—The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has issued the Public Libraries Survey (PLS) report for fiscal year 2006.This is the first PLS report released since IMLS was given responsibility for the annual survey, which includes information on population of service areas, service outlets, library collections and services, library staff, and operating revenue and expenditures. More than 9,000 libraries were surveyed in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands. The survey had a 97.5 percent response rate.

“The report shows the tremendous value that our public libraries have in the United States,” said Anne-Imelda M. Radice, IMLS Director. “The public library is an essential community resource particularly in difficult economic times. This survey provides solid data that helps to inform policy and practice decisions at the community, state and national levels.”

The report includes a number of key findings:

• 2.1 billion transactions were made between public libraries and their users in FY 2006; this total includes books, other printed materials and audio/visual resources. This translates to an average of 7.3 transactions for every individual living in a library service area. (97 percent of Americans live in a library service area.)
• 1.4 billion visits to public libraries were made in FY 2006; that’s nearly 5 visits for every individual who resides in a library service area.
• Children are among the heaviest users of public library resources; children’s materials accounted for 35 percent of all circulation transactions in FY 2006, and attendance at library-based children’s programs was 57.8 million.
• Public libraries had 807.2 million print materials, 42.6 million audio materials, and 43.9 million video materials in their collections in FY 2006.
• Public libraries play an important role in providing internet access to communities. Nationwide, there were 334 million uses of public-use internet terminals in FY 2006.

The FY 2006 survey is the 19th in the series. On October 1, 2007 responsibility for the PLS was transferred from to IMLS from the National Center for Education Statistics, along with the State Library Agencies Survey. The U.S. Census Bureau collects the data under a contract with IMLS. The survey’s extraordinary response rate results from the cooperative effort between the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies, IMLS, and the Census Bureau.

For more information on library statistics, visit http://www.imls.gov/statistics.

The report is available in PDF format. http://harvester.census.gov/imls/pubs/pls/index.asp

The FY 2006 PLS data files and documentation were released on November 18, 2008. http://harvester.census.gov/imls/data/pls/index.asp

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.