Library Access

A Civic and community resources measure
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About

Library visits per person living within the library service area per year. The 2025 Annual Data Release used data from 2022 for this measure.

Libraries are a trusted community resource that provide access to digital and print media and foster belonging and participation in civic life. Public libraries have reduced place-based health inequities through programs offering free on-site services such as flu vaccines, stress management, health insurance application assistance and even community fridges to address food insecurity.1,2 Some public libraries offer financial literacy classes and library computers and internet connections enable patrons to search for employment. By offering free services, public libraries reduce barriers, especially for people with lower incomes.3-5

As a civic resource, libraries provide space to learn, stay informed, get connected and organize so people can advocate for community needs.6 Thus, the number of library visits per person in the library service area provides a measure of civic participation.  Some libraries preserve cultures by sharing local Indigenous knowledge and language7 and support immigrants and refugees who are adjusting to new communities. Public libraries may reduce the digital divide between older and younger users, as well as those with lower incomes, by encouraging use of computers, tablets and e-readers.8 

Societal rules impact access to libraries. Public libraries are mostly funded by local governments (~86%), with minimal resources from state and other funding sources.9 Local elected decision-makers and community advocates have the power to increase library access by ensuring libraries have enough money to support staffing, and maintain resources, collections, services and programs.10-12 Although racially segregated libraries legally ended after the Supreme Court ruling of Brown vs. Board of Education, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, many public libraries in formerly redlined, segregated neighborhoods and rural communities still struggle with limited funds.12,13 

Civic spaces, such as libraries, can have a positive impact on health equity when we invest intentionally and inclusively. Neglect or deliberate exclusion, whether through funding, censorship or other forms of exclusion, is detrimental to bringing the benefits of libraries to those who most need them. For example, in areas of longstanding discrimination and disinvestment in the U.S., like the Black Belt and Appalachia, library access is far less than the national average.14

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Data and methods

Data Source

Institute of Museum and Library Services

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is an independent federal agency that supports libraries, archives and museums in all 50 states and U.S. territories. The Public Libraries Survey (PLS) examines when, where, and how library services are changing to meet the needs of the public. These data, supplied annually by public libraries across the country, provide information that policymakers and practitioners can use to make informed decisions about the support and strategic management of libraries.

Data collected annually since 1988 include information about library visits, circulation, size of collections, public service hours, staffing, electronic resources, operating revenues and expenditures and number of service outlets.

Website to download data
For more detailed methodological information

Key Measure Methods

Library Access is a rate

Rates measure how often something happens – library visits, in this case – over a certain period of time (generally one or more years) in a specific population. Rates help us compare the frequency of an event across counties with different population sizes. The number of library visits for the year is divided by the total population of the library service areas during that same period. 

How are visits counted?

Each library is responsible for counting its visits through individually determined methods such as a generalized single-day audit or a census of visits averaged over the year. The number of visits are reported annually by library systems, but visits are not available by library outlet. Because library systems may serve more than one county, county values for this measure are the median value of visits per capita to library outlets affiliated with the library systems that serve the county.   

Library Access should be compared with caution across counties

Use caution when comparing Library Access across counties because of differences between library systems in reporting periods and variations in methods used to count visits. 

Measure limitations

Measuring the number of library visits does not account for factors like geographic accessibility, transportation options, quality and types of services offered and use of apps that enable members to borrow resources without visiting the library. The measure does not account for reasons behind non-visits and may mask disparities in access by not reflecting diverse needs of different community members. County-level data may not reflect actual visits due to different reporting periods and varied adherence to survey definitions used by individual library systems. Additionally, the measure does not include non-public libraries, libraries open less than two weeks per year or temporarily closed during the year, outlets that are exclusively book by mail, and school district libraries. 

Can This Measure Be Used to Track Progress

Changes in this measure may reflect how well a library is fitting the needs of the people living in the service area.

Finding More Data

Disaggregation means breaking data down into smaller, meaningful subgroups. Disaggregated data are often broken down by characteristics of people or where they live. Disaggregated data can reveal inequalities that are otherwise hidden. These data can be disaggregated by:

  • Subcounty Area

The Institute of Museum and Library Services provides data for download or exploration within a web-based tool. The data include information on library services and programs, funding, library collection, staff and visits.

References

  1. Lee S, Bae J, Sharkey CN, et al. Professional social work and public libraries in the United States: A scoping review. Social Work. 2022;67(3):249-265.
  2. Philbin MM, Parker CM, Flaherty MG, Hirsch JS. Public libraries: A community-level resource to advance population health. Journal of Community Health. 2019;44:192-9.
  3. Igarashi T, Koizumi M, Widdersheim MM. Overcoming social divisions with the public library. Journal of Documentation. 2023;79(1):52-65.
  4. Kosciejew M. Information’s importance for refugees: Information technologies, public libraries, and the current refugee crisis. Library Quarterly. 2019;89(2):79-98.
  5. Morgan AU, Dupuis R, D’Alonzo B, et al. Beyond books: Public libraries as partners for population health. Health Affairs. 2016;35(11):2030-2036.
  6. Gravatt N. New research highlights libraries' expanded roles. Chicago: American Library Association. 2015. Available at: https://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2015/10/new-research-highlights-libraries-expanded-roles.
  7. Samsuddin SF, Shaffril HAM, Fauzi A. Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, to the rural libraries we go! A systematic literature review. Library and Information Science Research. 2020;42(1):100997.
  8. Sørensen KM. Where’s the value? The worth of public libraries: A systematic review of findings, methods and research gaps. Library and Information Science Research. 2021;43(1):101067.
  9. American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Public Library Revenue, Expenditures, and Funding Sources. American Academy of Arts and Sciences Humanities Indicators. n.d. Available from https://www.amacad.org/humanities-indicators/public-life/public-library-revenue-expenditures-and-funding-sources
  10. American Libraries Association. The State of America’s Libraries 2024. Chicago: American Libraries Association. 2024. Available at: https://live-alaorg.pantheonsite.io/sites/default/files/2024-04/state-of-americas-libraries-report-2024-accessible-web-version_0.pdf.
  11. Sin SJ. Disparities in public libraries’ service levels based on neighborhood income and urbanization levels: a nationwide study. Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology. 2008;45:1-15.
  12. Sin SJ. Neighborhood disparities in access to information resources: Measuring and mapping US public libraries' funding and service landscapes. Library & Information Science Research. 2011;33:41-53.
  13. Wheeler M, Johnson-Houston D, Walker BE. A brief history of library service to African Americans. American Libraries. 2004;35(2):42-45. 
  14. University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. County Health Rankings National Findings Report 2023. www.countyhealthrankings.org.

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