County Library checks out over ten million items in fiscal year

SAN DIEGO (Press Release)–On June 10 San Diego County Library reached a national library milestone of checking out over ten million items in one fiscal year.  This statistic includes check outs and renewals of book, movies, music, and other library materials.  This increase is a jump from the 2008-2009 fiscal year circulation statistics of eight million items. 

This increase in circulation puts San Diego County Library as one of the top busiest libraries in the nation, despite limited funding opportunities.  Library Director José Aponte attributes the accomplishment to the staff’s ability to do more with less.  Aponte sees the increase in library usage as a direct result of the economy and the community’s need for affordable educational resources and entertainment, saying that, “When the economy is bad, when people lose work and money is short, the library’s value is incalculable to people… We like to think of us as the most valuable card in your wallet.” 

The increase in library usage has also been seen with an increase in the number of customers visiting the library, the amount of time being spent using free Internet stations, and the number of new library card holders.  San Diego County Library expects to see another round of increases for the 2010-2011 fiscal year.  For more information on San Diego County Library, visit www.sdcl.org.

*
Preceding provided by San Diego County Library