Amazing Facts about Iowa Public Libraries

Iowa has 543 public libraries (21 branches), 79 academic libraries, and over 1,400 school libraries.

Of public libraries, 415 serve populations of less than 2,500.

There are 2 million registered borrowers in Iowa public libraries, a 20 percent increase from 1997 to 2007.

Nationally, Iowa public libraries rank 17th in library visits per capita.

Iowa ranks 4th nationally in the number of public libraries and 13th in the number of books owned.

Since 1997, library visits to Iowa public libraries increased 35 percent and the number of materials checked out rose 13 percent.

The average number of public access Internet computers in Iowa public libraries is 6.

In FY07, 143,402 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.