Public Libraries in the United States Statistical trends, 1990-2003*


Circulation

Survey Results
Year Total Per Capita Response Rate
1990

1,394,887,374

5.6

96.8

1991

1,465,962,402

6.1

96.1

1992

1,555,360,000

6.4

97.1

1993

1,585,859,000

6.5

96.9

1994

1,569,919,000

6.4

97.0

1995

1,609,872,000

6.4

96.9

1996

1,642,625,000

6.5

97.6

1997

1,690,203,000

6.6

97.2

1998

1,701,184,000

6.6

97.5

1999

1,693,416,000

6.4

97.5

2000

1,713,967,000

6.4

97.8

2001

1,789,927,000

6.5

95.8

2002

1,897,874,000

6.8

97.7

2003

1,965,000,000

7.0

96.8

Library Visits

Survey Results
Year Total Per Capita Response Rate
1990

506,863,503

3.13

68.1

1991

675,708,393

3.70

76.2

1992

773,236,000

4.00

81.6

1993

810,778,000

4.00

83.7

1994

821,686,000

4.10

83.9

1995

981,566,000

3.90

83.8

1996

1,013,798,000

4.00

86.3

1997

1,057,757,000

4.10

86.4

1998

1,088,034,000

4.20

87.9

1999

1,119,733,000

4.30

89.1

2000

1,146,284,000

4.30

90.1

2001

1,187,723,000

4.30

89.5

2002

1,244,348,000

4.50

92.2

2003

1,248,175,000

4.60

92.1

Reference Transactions

Survey Results
Year Total Per Capita Response Rate
1990

201,414,485

0.9

80.7

1991

222,023,860

1.0

82.0

1992

227,989,000

1.0

86.4

1993

242,691,000

1.1

86.1

1994

257,690,000

1.1

87.9

1995

278,204,000

1.1

87.2

1996

284,513,000

1.1

88.5

1997

287,173,000

1.1

89.8

1998

292,056,000

1.1

88.7

1999

294,568,000

1.1

89.5

2000

291,476,000

1.1

90.1

2001

296,211,000

1.1

89.1

2002

301,757,000

1.1

90.9

2003

302,338,000

1.1

91.1



* Note: Totals for 1990-94 may be underestimated due to nonresponse. Since 1995, items with response rates below 100 percent include imputations for nonresponse.

Source: Public Libraries in the United States XXXX. National Center for Education Statistics

Complied by ALA Office for Research and Statistics.

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