Alabama library notes
The second of 49 notes on Chapter 20 of Give Us a Dollar and We’ll Give You Back Four (2012-13), this time on Alabama’s libraries.
A substantial percentage of Alabama’s 189 libraries (plus 27 omitted) are relatively poorly supported, with 57% in the bottom three brackets (compared to 28% overall)—but 11 libraries spend at least $73 per capita, the top bracket. Funding difficulties mirror relatively low usage, even though benefit ratios for every expenditure category are at least 4.5 (without cost of living adjustment; 4.2 with adjustment). Only 33% of the libraries show at least six circulation per capita (compared to 64% overall) and only 28% have at least five patron visits per year (54% overall). More than half the libraries have less than 0.2 program attendance per capita (compared to 31% overall).
The budget tables show a strong correlation between spending and circulation (except that libraries spending $21 to $25.99 have lower numbers than those spending $17 to $20.99), all the way from a median of 2.21 circ per capita for the lowest spending bracket to 19.09 for the highest.
Libraries by legal service area
| LSA | Count | % | Outliers |
| <700 | 4 | 2.1% | |
| 700-1,149 | 15 | 7.9% | |
| 1,150-1,649 | 9 | 4.8% | 1 |
| 1,650-2,249 | 14 | 7.4% | |
| 2,250-2,999 | 11 | 5.8% | 1 |
| 3,000-3,999 | 11 | 5.8% | 2 |
| 4,000-5,299 | 13 | 6.9% | 2 |
| 5,300-6,799 | 12 | 6.4% | 4 |
| 6,800-8,699 | 12 | 6.4% | 3 |
| 8,700-11,099 | 14 | 7.4% | |
| 11,100-14,099 | 13 | 6.9% | |
| 14,100-18,499 | 16 | 8.5% | 2 |
| 18,500-24,999 | 12 | 6.4% | 3 |
| 25,000-34,499 | 8 | 4.3% | 1 |
| 34,500-53,999 | 11 | 5.8% | 3 |
| 54,000-104,999 | 9 | 4.8% | 4 |
| 105,000-4.1 mill. | 5 | 2.7% | 1 |
Bonus graphs
For Alabama libraries, there’s a strong correlation (0.70) between circulation per capita and spending per capita.
Circulation per capita plotted against spending per capita
Circulation per capita (rounded) occurrence by spending category
