Stats Show Impressive Library Use Last Year

Who says people don’t use libraries any more? Our usage numbers for 2009-2010 are in, and they are mighty impressive.

Circulation was at an all time high of 429,854. Even with so many alternative formats available for our patrons, a solid 65% of items borrowed last year were good old-fashioned print materials.

The number of reference questions was up by 4%. Despite the ubiquity of Google, people continue to make a wide range of requests for assistance from our trained and experienced librarians.

Attendance at programs was up over 12%, to 24,940 (that averages out to every single person in town attending one event). The huge success of offerings from Enjoying Joyce to the children’s Summer Reading Program demonstrates that people are flocking to the Library for more than just books.

At year-end, the size of our collection stood at 132,268, almost exactly the same number as a year ago. While we added over 13,000 new items to make sure our patrons had plenty of the newest titles, we also discarded the same number to make space for them on our overcrowded shelves.

For more statistics, see the About the Library section on our website at http://www.ridgefieldlibrary.org/about/facts_figures.shtml .