About The Library: FY2011 Annual ReportFY2011 Annual Report
Library building, collection use reach all-time highs
For a decade or more people have been saying libraries are no longer needed, everything is or will be online, a physical space for a library is not necessary. And yet, across the country and the state, library use continues to grow. The Iowa City Public Library adds to that story.
Operating under the priorities of a new strategic plan, use of the Library building and collections reached all-time highs - more than 768,000 people visited the Library and 1,570,865 items were borrowed or downloaded in Fiscal Year 2011.
Meeting room use remains near the all-time high set last year at more than 2,200 non-Library meetings booked. Use of electronic databases increased by more than 50 percent and downloadable media use increased by more than 100 percent in FY11. More resources for early literacy outreach resulted in expanding children's outreach programming from 133 programs in FY10 to 327 in FY11. The number of questions asked at both the Children's and the Reference Desks increased, and the use of Reference Chat service at the Reference Desk is up 66 percent.
Other highlights for the year included completing a facilities needs study, working with the University to provide student and faculty access to children's literature, offering video streaming, increased access to electronic collections, improving customer service, and beginning a staff reorganization.
Come rediscover all your Library has to offer this year, and look for new initiatives to be announced this fall, including improved access to public computers at a new remote location convenient for residents of southeastern Iowa City.
Financials
2011 Fact Sheet
| POPULATION SERVED: | |
| Iowa City | 67,862 |
| Rural Johnson County (by contract) | 21,343 |
| University Heights (by contract) | 1,051 |
| Hills (by contract) | 703 |
| CARDHOLDERS: | 68,751 |
| COLLECTIONS: | |
| Circulating Books/eBooks: | 182,993 |
| Circulating Non-print Materials: | 40,824 |
| Print and Electronic Reference: | 6,340 |
| Periodicals and Newspapers: | 440 |
| Total collection size: | 230,597 |
| ANNUAL USERSHIP FIGURES: | |
| Circulation: | 1,570,865 |
| Visits to the Library: | 768,033 |
| Information Requests: | 83,973 |
| Meeting Room Attendance: | 29,566 |
| Non-Library Meeting Room Use: | 2,232 |
A Year in Photos
Reports
- Introduction and Report from the Director
- Library Board of Trustees Annual Report to the City Council
- Staff Roster
- State Library Survey
(Coming Soon!)
Earlier Annual Reports: FY2009, FY2010 | Later Annual Reports: FY2012