Figure V-8a reveals that even with the proliferation of new media and the declining role of reading in American culture, libraries have continued to attract significant numbers of users. Americans visited libraries more often in 2005 than they had ten years before, and both total and per capita circulation increased.

Figure V-8a, Full Size Supporting Data

While Americans may have become more likely to visit and borrow materials from libraries, they have not sought more reference help. Between 1995 and 2005, the number of reference transactions per capita held steady at almost exactly one transaction per person (see the Note on Per Capita Library Statistics). Such stability may be related to the rise of the Internet, which allows users to find both electronic and print resources on their own. Unfortunately, no reliable national data exist on the character of reference transactions that would permit an analysis of their dynamics. (For data relating to other aspects of the growing role of the Internet in public libraries, see Indicator V-9, Internet Access at Public Libraries.)

Figure V-8b depicts regional variation in the circulation of library materials for the year 2005. The southern states exhibited relatively low rates of library usage, while the mid- and northwestern regions of the country exhibited the highest rates.

Figure V-8b, Full Size Supporting Data