North American Public Library Statistics about 1868

 

Supporting data for Galbi, “Book Circulation Per U.S. Public Library User Since 1856.”

 

Source:  Seventeenth Annual Report, 1869, Boston Public Library, Appendices XXII and XXIII, pp. 112-33.

 

 

App.

Rec.

City

State

Library Name

Volumes

Circulation

Users

12

2

Amherst

MA

College Library

24,286

5,000

300

12

3

Andover

MA

Theological Seminary

29,000

5,000

125

12

4

Arlington

MA

Public

2,005

6,000

200

12

5

Barnstable

MA

Sturgis

1,845

6,500

400

12

6

Beverly

MA

Public

4,610

10,000

1,275

12

12

Boston

MA

Mattapan Literary Association

3,000

1,550

50

12

13

Boston

MA

Mercantile

19,555

28,000

1,024

12

14

Boston

MA

Natural History Society

12,000

500

75

12

15

Boston

MA

New Church

1,000

1,200

350

12

17

Boston

MA

YMCA

4,610

3,900

700

12

18

Bridgewater (North)

MA

Public

2,667

25,000

1,546

12

19

Brighton

MA

Holton

5,008

17,303

750

12

20

Brookfield

MA

Merrick Public

1,847

9,000

700

12

21

Brookline

MA

Public

10,000

22,000

1,200

12

22

Burlington

MA

Public

800

1,500

220

12

24

Cambridge

MA

Dana

4,000

13,000

300

12

28

Chicopee

MA

Public

2,600

6,000

200

12

30

Concord

MA

Public

5,584

4,760

473

12

33

Dighton

MA

Social

558

2,500

75

12

34

Fall River

MA

Public

5,633

25,000

1,800

12

35

Fitchburg

MA

Public

7,500

30,000

1,527

12

38

Gloucester

MA

Lyceum

3,000

23,000

2,500

12

41

Hinsdale

MA

Public

2,000

4,150

137

12

42

Hudson

MA

Public

877

7,200

450

12

45

Lawrence

MA

Pacific Mills

5,000

23,400

900

12

47

Leominster

MA

Public

3,756

18,000

1,400

12

49

Lowell

MA

City Library

13,821

43,777

1,100

12

51

Lynn

MA

Public

10,672

49,164

1,100

12

52

Millbury

MA

Public

1,265

500

300

12

53

Natick

MA

Public

2,540

25,000

1,000

12

54

New Bedford

MA

Public

21,000

35,000

2,000

12

55

Newburyport

MA

Free

13,000

30,000

3,500

12

56

Newton

MA

Public

1,800

4,500

137

12

58

Northampton

MA

Public

5,000

10,000

600

12

59

Peabody

MA

Peabody Institute

13,300

24,600

1,500

12

60

Phillipston

MA

Phillips' Free Public

1,869

4,700

350

12

61

Pittsfield

MA

Mercantile

3,300

5,238

250

12

63

Reading, South

MA

Public

3,000

17,000

500

12

64

Roxbury

MA

Athenaeum

8,000

8,000

400

12

69

Springfield

MA

Public

26,488

80,000

1,600

12

70

Springfield, West

MA

Public

720

1,000

25

12

72

Stoneham

MA

Public

3,000

17,000

1,300

12

74

Studbury (South)

MA

Goodenow

3,784

10,000

800

12

75

Taunton

MA

Public

7,995

39,000

2,800

12

76

Waltham

MA

Public

5,000

32,991

2,756

12

81

Westford

MA

Public

1,544

2,845

450

12

82

Weston

MA

Public

3,000

6,000

200

12

84

Winchendon

MA

Public

1,295

9,000

710

12

85

Winchester

MA

Public

2,000

4,674

395

12

86

Woburn

MA

Public

3,714

12,768

600

12

87

Worcester

MA

Public

21,000

60,000

4,000

13

2

Albany

NY

Young Men's Association

11,021

36,000

1,200

13

9

Buffalo

NY

Young Men's Association

15,000

140,000

2,500

13

13

Cincinnati

OH

Public

30,206

33,000

3,800

13

15

Cleveland

OH

Library Association

10,000

25,600

800

13

17

Clinton

NY

Hamilton College

20,000

2,006

200

13

19

Concord

NH

City Public

4,884

16,869

648

13