Las Vegas Valley Libraries on a Roll

Source: City of Henderson DoIT

Link to January 17 Las Vegas Review-Journal article, "CHECK IT OUT: Libraries become important spots for fun, help in tough times Branches all over valley seeing increase in circulation". (via Twitter)

Excerpt: Take the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, where circulation -- that is, books, CDs, DVDs and other materials checked out of the library -- is up about 12 percent over the past two fiscal years, according to Jeanne Goodrich, the district's executive director.

Also up over the past two years, Goodrich notes: Door counts, or the number of people who visit library branches, up about 12 percent; computer use, up about 25 percent; attendance at programs -- almost always no-cost programs -- the district sponsors, up about 10 percent; and, in a trend Goodrich calls "really interesting," reference questions, up about 23 percent.

"Every indicator we've got shows us people really are turning to their library for information, for (entertainment) materials, as a place to take families and kids to programs or to go to a lecture, and as a place to seek job information," Goodrich says.

It's the same throughout the rest of the valley.

At Henderson Libraries, where Executive Director Tom Fay says circulation has increased almost 38 percent districtwide over the past two fiscal years -- including the Henderson district's takeover of Green Valley Library last year would add another 18 percent to that -- and computer use has increased almost 49 percent.

At the North Las Vegas Library District which, Director Kathy Pennell says, has seen a circulation increase of about 16 percent as well as jumps in door counts, computer use and program attendance.

And at Boulder City Library, where Library Director Lynn Schofield-Dahl says circulation was up about 8.5 percent and computer usage up about 22 percent from July through November 2009 versus July through November 2008.