(16 June 2015) The number of people visiting public libraries in NSW is at an all‐time high with internet and online usage going through the roof, according to the latest statistics released by the State Library of NSW.
“Public library visits and loans continue to rise at an impressive rate, but it is free WiFi usage, virtual visits and, surprisingly, non‐traditional library services that are delivering the most staggering results,” says NSW State Librarian & Chief Executive, Alex Byrne.
Physical visits to over 360 public libraries across NSW have increased by 30% since 2000, with 35 million visits recorded for 2013/14. Loans are up 5% with 45 million loans recorded last year.
“Public libraries are to be congratulated on introducing more adventurous and quirky programming to their diverse offering of existing library services, with a 40% increase in attendance recorded since 2008 ‐ 1,538,019 people participated in over 67,000 programs in 2013/14,” said Dr Byrne.
There’s a lot more detail in the announcement.
