The Connecticut State Library is pleased to announce the release of two reports, “Connecticut’s Public Libraries: A Statistical Profile, July 2020 – June 2021” and “Statistical Trends in Connecticut Public Libraries, 2021.”
Following the end of each fiscal year, the CT State Library collects data from public libraries through the State Annual Report which includes a combination of national questions provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and state questions created specifically for Connecticut’s libraries. The statistics compiled in this year’s Profile are based on the FY2021 Annual Reports submitted by CT public libraries in the fall of 2021. The Statistical Trends publication identifies and explains trends in the use and management of CT public libraries over the past 10 or more years through the current fiscal year.
Over the last 2 years, libraries in Connecticut, like those in all states, added brand new services in response to the pandemic, often launching them in a matter of days. These included curbside and drive-through pickups, library card registrations online and over the phone, remote reference assistance via phone and live-chat, expanded electronic collections, virtual programs both live and on-demand, lendable hotspots and laptops, and extended Wi-Fi access. While many library use indicators were in decline during this period due to the pandemic and its impact on building closures, open hours, budgets, and staffing resources, there are a number of highlights:
- Starting in mid-March 2020, libraries pivoted their program offerings from in-person to virtual, and over the last year, libraries continued to broaden the range of program types being offered for all ages to include outdoor, recorded, virtual, and live programming.
- As COVID-19 and pandemic guidelines shifted, libraries were able to offer 7,708 in-person programs with 145,928 attendees.
- Libraries grew their success with online programs, offering a total 43,991 live virtual and prerecorded programs for 582,671 attendees and 913,672 views.
- Driven by the ease of access from home, borrowing of electronic materials, including e-books and downloadable audio and video, represents almost a quarter of all circulation, up from just 10% two years ago. As libraries noted the upward usage, they responded with increased budget allocations for e-materials.
- As library leaders and boards joined the growing social justice movement, many of our libraries went fine free, taking a stand for equity and inclusion. The number of public libraries in CT that are now fine-free more than doubled in the last year from 31 to 64 libraries, with many more currently working towards this goal.
- Connecticut public libraries received over $8 million in federal funds, representing an infusion of PPP, CARES, and ARPA dollars to sustain operations and services for our local communities throughout the pandemic.
“The data compiled in these reports tells the story of Connecticut libraries and the fortitude and creativity with which they have responded to the pandemic,” said Deborah Schander, Connecticut State Librarian. “While services and access may look a little different from how they have in the past, our libraries are open, responsive, and an integral part of community life.”
“We know and feel that the pandemic continues to present challenges to libraries. These reports show us, in real ways, how libraries rapidly adapted over the last few, very long, years,” said Dawn La Valle, Director of the CT State Library Division of Library Development. “Building on our learnings and experiences, together we are now envisioning a suite of innovative and transformational scenarios for future library services, to deepen and grow libraries in their role as critical community hubs now and in the years ahead.”
Along with state library agencies across the country, our State Data Coordinator, Maria Bernier, sends CT’s library data to IMLS for inclusion in the annual Public Libraries Survey (PLS), which tells the story of library services across the country. Collected annually since 1988, the PLS explores when, where, and how library services are changing to meet the needs of the public. Supplied annually by approximately 9,000 public library systems across the country, this data provides information that policymakers and practitioners use to make informed decisions about the support and strategic management of libraries.