FOR LIBRARIANS: Library Fast Facts--South Dakota
South Dakota ranks 10th in the nation in number of books per capita with 4.33 books per capita. Vermont was #1 with 5.0 books per capita. The national average is 2.86 books per capita. Tennessee ranks lowest with 1.8 books per capita. In spite of this high ranking, 32.4% of South Dakota's libraries have less than 10,000 volumes in their collection (8.1% have less than 5,000 volumes).
South Dakotans visited their public library an estimated 2,924,000 times in 2000. That is an average of 4.69 visits per capita. Nationwide, 1,146,284,000 visits were made to public libraries; an average of 4.31 visits per capita. Connecticut had the highest per capita visits in 2000 (6.21) and Mississippi was the lowest at 2.65 visits per capita.
Americans make 3.5 billion visits to school, public and college libraries each year -- about three times the attendance at movie theaters.
Libraries in South Dakota are supported primarily by local tax dollars - 92.1% of funding is local vs. 0% state funding. Nationwide 77.1% of library funding is local and 12.8% is state funding.
The $20.04 per capita support (operating income) for South Dakota public libraries (2000) is less than half the $60.84 average cost of a hardback book in 2000 and lower than the 2000 national average per capita support of $26.42. Ohio is #1 in library support, expending $47.40 per person (this includes $43.59 from state aid.).
South Dakota public libraries collectively employ 34.6 librarians with a masters in library science. (54% of those librarians work in the two largest libraries -- 10 work at the Siouxland Libraries in Sioux Falls and 9 work at the Rapid City Public Library).
South Dakotans checked out an average of 7.37 public library books per capita compared to the 2000 national average of 6.44 books circulated per capita. Nationwide the highest per capita circulation was 12.76 in Ohio and the lowest was 1.87 in the District of Columbia and 3.07 in Mississippi.
Nationally, public libraries receive less than 1% of all tax dollars, but are used by more than 50% of all adults.
More children participate in summer reading programs at libraries than play Little League baseball.
There are more public libraries in the U.S. than there are McDonald's restaurants -- a total of 16,180 nationwide including branches.
South Dakota has 134 public libraries, 16 branches, and 8 bookmobiles. 69.2% of the public libraries are municipal, 10.0% are county administered, and 17.5% are multijurisdictional (primarily school/public combinations.).
30.8% of South Dakota's public libraries spend less than $10,000 per year to provide services. On average in 2000 South Dakota public libraries spent 66.2% of their budget on staff and 67.5% on books and other materials. The average amount spent per capita for the purchase of new materials was $3.30.
