South Carolina libraries

Another post commenting on Chapter 20 of Give Us a Dollar and We’ll Give You Back Four (2012-13)–now available as a $9.99 Kindle ebook or $21.95 paperback with ISBN 978-1481279161 on Amazon, along with the usual Lulu options. Note that Lulu prices for the paperback and hardback versions are now lower.

Most of the 41 South Carolina libraries profiled (one was omitted) fall into the lower half of funding: 32 (78%) spend less than $26 per capita, and 20 of those (49%) spend less than $17. Circulation is distinctly low, with only 22% circulating at least 6 items per capita (compared to 64% overall) and none circulating 13 or more (compared to 25% overall). The same holds for patron visits: Only 24% report four or more visits per capita, compared to 65% overall. Similarly, no library reports 0.7 or more program attendance per capita and only 5% achieve at least 0.4 (compared to 42% overall). PC use is also low.

Libraries by legal service area

LSA Count % Outliers
8,700-11,099 1 2.4%
14,100-18,499 1 2.4%
18,500-24,999 3 7.3%
25,000-34,499 7 17.1% 1
34,500-53,999 5 12.2%
54,000-104,999 11 26.8%
105,000-4.1 mill. 13 31.7%

Circulation per capita and spending per capita

There’s very strong correlation (0.81) between circulation per capita and spending per capita.

Circulation per capita plotted against spending per capita

Circulation per capita (rounded) occurrence by spending category

Note that there are no libraries in the $36-$42.99 and $73+ categories.

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