The following slides of this narrative visualization summarize the physical and digital collections of public libraries in U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and outlying territories. Physical collections include items such as books, journals, DVDs, or CDs. Digital collections include items such as e-books and downloadable audio and video content. Visualizations were created using the 2022 findings from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Public Libraries Survey (PLS) which are available here: https://www.imls.gov/research-evaluation/surveys/public-libraries-survey-pls.
Click Start below to view slides.
Physical and Digital Collection Materials
The scatter plot below shows percentages of physical and digital library collections materials in U.S. states and territories. Hover over each point to see specific information about the state’s collections. Click on a state name or region name on the right to select a specific state or region. Click Next to go to the next slide.
Physical and Digital Collection Circulation
The scatter plot below shows percentages of the circulation of library physical and digital collections in U.S. states and territories. Hover over each point to see specific information about the state’s collections. Click on a state name or region name on the right to select a specific state or region. Click Next to go to the next slide.
Physical and Digital Collection Expenditures
The scatter plot below shows percentages of expenditures on library physical and digital collections in U.S. states and territories. Hover over each point to see specific information about the state’s collections. Click on a state name or region name on the right to select a specific state or region. Click Next to finish the narrative.
Conclusion
The previous visualizations show that many libraries across the U.S. are prioritizing digital content over physical content. Future investigations on this topic could investigate differences across library size or location in urban, suburban and rural communities and the kinds of digital content that public libraries collect and circulate.