Library facts and figures

Would you like to know what makes the library service in Shropshire tick? In this section there are all sorts of useful facts and figures showing how your money is spent, how many books and other items are loaned and all about the range and depth of the facilities. Performance posters are displayed in every library giving targets and achievements and Community Library Profiles can be found on individual library web pages. An overview of the service is contained in the Shropshire Libraries Strategic Position Statement, November 2008, a copy of which can be opened or downloaded from this page.

The information given below is based on a range of statistics required for each library authority for national comparative purposes. The statistics relate to the year 2007 to 2008. Statistics for 2008 to 2009 are currently being collated and should appear here soon.

How many items are borrowed each year?
1,487,917 books
115,400 other items

What is the total stock?
481,479 books
32,538 other items

How many new books were bought?
26,250 adult fiction books
9,601 adult non-fiction books
19,815 junior fiction books
2,998 junior non-fiction books
933 reference books

How many new audio-visual items were bought?
873 sound recordings - music
1,163 sound recordings - adult talking books
574 sound recordings - children's talking books
2,661 video and DVDs

How many visits are made each year?
1,569,898

How much is the request service used?
57,885 requested items

How quickly are books supplied?
[Figures derived from October 2006 survey]
67% within 7 days
81% within 15 days
90% within 30 days

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