The State of Small and Rural Libraries in the United States (IMLS)

New report out from IMLS about the state of small and rural libraries in the US.
http://www.imls.gov/assets/1/AssetManager/Brief2013_05.pdf

Some highlights include:

  • Small and rural libraries make up the majority of public library systems in the United States (80.5%).
  • Vermont has the highest percentage of small libraries in the United States (98.7%).
  • Small and rural libraries continue to provide substantial electronic and digital resources for patrons through access to e-books and publicly accessible computer terminals.
  • Although per capita revenue has decreased over the past three years, visitation and circulation has increased for both small and rural libraries.