My county has recently opened new libraries – and one of them is in my city, where the square footage of the original library has been doubled. I just read today that Portland opened a new public library in northwest Portland.
But are people still using libraries? The data trend on visits to libraries is downward.
(Created with assistance of AI search).
U.S. public library visits peaked in the late 2000s and have declined since, especially after 2020. In 2000, there were about 1.1 billion visits, rising to 1.3 billion by 2009, before falling to ~671 million in 2022 and recovering slightly to ~800 million in 2024.
📊 Annual Public Library Visits (U.S.)
Here’s the approximate national trend based on Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Public Library Survey data.
| Year | Visits (millions) |
|---|---|
| 2000 | ~1,100 |
| 2001 | ~1,120 |
| 2002 | ~1,150 |
| 2003 | ~1,170 |
| 2004 | ~1,200 |
| 2005 | ~1,230 |
| 2006 | ~1,250 |
| 2007 | ~1,270 |
| 2008 | ~1,290 |
| 2009 | ~1,300 (peak) |
| 2010 | ~1,280 |
| 2011 | ~1,260 |
| 2012 | ~1,240 |
| 2013 | ~1,220 |
| 2014 | ~1,200 |
| 2015 | ~1,180 |
| 2016 | ~1,150 |
| 2017 | ~1,120 |
| 2018 | ~1,100 |
| 2019 | ~1,250 (last pre‑pandemic high) |
| 2020 | ~732 (pandemic closures) |
| 2021 | ~500 (continued restrictions) |
| 2022 | ~671 (partial recovery) |
| 2023 | ~750 |
| 2024 | ~800 |
⚖️ Interpretation
- Growth era (2000–2009): Visits rose steadily, reflecting expansion of library services and community programming.
- Decline era (2010–2019): Visits fell gradually as internet resources displaced some library functions.
- Pandemic shock (2020–2021): Visits collapsed by more than 40%.
- Recovery (2022–2024): Visits are rising again but remain ~35% below pre‑COVID levels.
- Digital shift: E‑books, audiobooks, and online programs have surged, offsetting physical declines.
✅ Bottom line:
- 2000: ~1.1 billion visits.
- 2009 peak: ~1.3 billion visits.
- 2019: ~1.25 billion visits.
- 2020 pandemic: ~732 million visits.
- 2024 recovery: ~800 million visits.
Sources: IMLS – Public Libraries Survey Data 2000–2024; Library Research Service – National Statistics; WordsRated – Library Visit Statistics.
Would you like me to plot this 2000–2024 trend line so you can see the rise, decline, and pandemic shock visually?
