Amazing Facts about Iowa Libraries

Iowa has 542 public libraries (20 branches), 79 academic libraries, and over 1,400 school libraries.

Of the 542 public libraries, 412 serve populations of less than 2,500.

There are more than 2 million registered borrowers in Iowa public libraries, a 21 percent increase from 1999 to 2009.  67% of Iowans were registered card holders in 2009.

Nationally, Iowa public libraries rank 11th in library visits per capita.  On average, 51,355 Iowans visited their public libraries a day in 2009.

Iowa ranks 4th nationally in the number of public libraries and 11th in the number of books owned per capita.

Since 1999, library visits to Iowa public libraries increased 41 percent and the number of materials checked out rose 22 percent (1999 to 2009).  On average, Iowans checked out 78,636 items a day from their public libraries.

The average number of public access Internet computers in Iowa public libraries is 7.

In FY09, 94,717 children participated in Iowa's Summer Library Programs at their public libraries.

Philanthropist Andrew Carnegie helped build thousands of libraries across the United States.  In all, 101 communities in Iowa were granted more than $1,500,000 from Carnegie for the construction of public libraries.