Public library statistics

• 2022 Public Library Statistics

In 2022, the provincial local appropriation per capita was $42.90 (total local appropriation given to all municipal library boards divided by the total population served by all municipal library boards).

• 2022 Local appropriation spreadsheet
• Average Local Appropriation Per Capita (2022)
• Average Local Appropriation – By System (2022)

The Top Thirty list identifies those municipalities that provide the greatest level of support to their local library board. A corresponding list of "all stars" highlights those municipalities that provide strong, consistent support over time. Municipalities of all sizes are represented, demonstrating that you do not have to be big to do great things.

• 2022 Top Thirty
• Local Appropriation “All Stars”

For more information, see public library statistics.

• 2021 public library statistics
• 2021 Local appropriation spreadsheet
• 2021 Top Thirty
• Average Local Appropriation Per Capita (2021)
• Average Local Appropriation – By System (2021)
• Local Appropriation "All Stars"
• Provincial and Municipal Support for Public Library Service (2021)
• Provincial and Municipal Support for Public Library Service - Percentage (2021)

• 2020 public library statistics
• 2020 Local appropriation spreadsheet
• 2020 Top Thirty
• Average Local Appropriation Per Capita (2020)
• Average Local Appropriation – By System (2020)
• Local Appropriation "All Stars"
• Provincial and Municipal Support for Public Library Service (2020)
• Provincial and Municipal Support for Public Library Service - Percentage (2020)

• 2019 public library statistics
• 2019 Local appropriation spreadsheet
• 2019 Top Thirty
• Average Local Appropriation Per Capita (2019)
• Average Local Appropriation – By System (2019)
• Local Appropriation "All Stars"
• Provincial and Municipal Support for Public Library Service (2019)
• Provincial and Municipal Support for Public Library Service - Percentage (2019)

• 2018 public library statistics
• 2018 Local appropriation spreadsheet
• 2018 Top Thirty
• Average Local Appropriation Per Capita (2018)
• Average Local Appropriation – By System (2018)
• Local Appropriation "All Stars"
• Provincial and Municipal Support for Public Library Service (2018)
• Provincial and Municipal Support for Public Library Service - Percentage (2018)

• Public Library Statistics
• Average Local Appropriation Per Capita
• Top Thirty
• Quick Facts

• Public Library Statistics
• Average Local Appropriation Per Capita
• Top Thirty
• Quick Facts

• Public Library Statistics
• Average Local Appropriation Per Capita
• Top Thirty
• Quick Facts

• Public Library Statistics
• Average Local Appropriation Per Capita
• Top Thirty
• Quick Facts

• Public Library Statistics
• Average Local Appropriation Per Capita
• Top Thirty
• Quick Facts

• Public Library Statistics
• Average Local Appropriation Per Capita
• Top Thirty
• Quick Facts

• Public Library Statistics
• Average Local Appropriation Per Capita
• Top Thirty
• Quick Facts

• Public Library Statistics
• Average Local Appropriation Per Capita
• Top Thirty
• Quick Facts

• Public Library Statistics
• Average Local Appropriation Per Capita
• Top Thirty
• 2009 Library Card Fees
• Quick Facts

• Public Library Statistics
• Average Local Appropriation Per Capita
• Top Thirty

• Public Library Statistics
• Average Local Appropriation per capita
• Top Thirty

• Public Library Statistics
• Average Municipal Support Per Capita
• Top Thirty

• Public Library Statistics
• Average Local Appropriation per Capita
• Top Thirty

• 221 municipal library boards responsible for serving Albertans
• 7 regional library systems serving 209 library boards, 305 municipalities and 268 library service points
• 324 library service points across Alberta

In 2022:

• People in Alberta had access to over 35 million books, CDs, DVDs, eBooks and other materials and resources at Alberta public libraries (8 library items per capita).
• There were 1,351,621 library cardholders in Alberta, representing 31% of the population.
• People in Alberta borrowed over 37 million items from public libraries.
• Alberta libraries circulated 8 items per person.
• People in Alberta visited their libraries in person almost over 13 million times.
• People in Alberta visited their libraries virtually through their library's website over 25 million times.
• 1.6 million people took part in one of the approximately 84,000 programs offered by Alberta's libraries.
• 317 out of 339 (93%) municipalities provide access to municipal library services.
• 24 municipalities do not provide any level of public library service (many of these are Summer Villages).
• 4,266,204 Albertans have access to a public library: 99.8% of the total provincial population.
• Only 0.2% of the provincial population does not have access to public library service.
• There were 1,909 (full-time equivalent) employees in public libraries. In addition, there were 142 full-time employees in library systems. In total, there were 2,051 full-time employees devoted to public library service in Alberta.
• Public libraries were open on average 35.06 hours per week.

In 2022:

• Provincial operating grants to public library boards (municipal and system) totaled $30,091,683, representing 12% of total library operating revenue.
• The province also expended $4,239,525 to support the provincial library network. This included funds for SuperNet connectivity for all public libraries, electronic resources and the resource sharing network.
• Total provincial support for public library service amounted to $34,331,207, or $8.05 per capita served.
• Municipal contributions (including in-kind support) to public library boards (municipal and system) totaled $179,137,363. This represented 75% of total library operating revenue.
• Public libraries spent $20,279,335 on library resources ($4.75 per capita served).

In the 5-year period between 2017 and 2022:

• Local funding support for public libraries increased by 9.8%.
• Provincial grants to public library boards remained stable.
• Provincial network support remained stable.
• Population served by public libraries increased by 4.7%.

The primary means by which the provincial government supports public library service is through annual operating grants to library boards.

In 2022, provincial grants from PLSB to municipal and system library boards totalled $30,091,683 ($21,469,503 to municipal library boards and $8,622,180 to system library boards). This support equals $7.06 per capita served.

• Provincial and Municipal per capita (2022)
• Provincial and Municipal per capita as a percentage (2022)

For more information, see public library statistics.

The provincial government also provides network support to enable provincewide sharing of public library resources.

Public library network support provided by PLSB totalled $4,239,525 in 2022.

For more information, see Public Library Network.

In 2022, local appropriation provided by municipalities to local library boards totalled $167,639,788. This accounted for 79.3% of all revenue generated for public library service.

In addition to providing monetary support to the local board, most municipalities in Alberta (305) also participate in regional library systems, which leverage the power of cooperation to greatly enhance local public library service delivery.

In 2022, municipalities provided:

• $164,828,338 to municipal library boards directly
• $2,811,450 in expenditures on behalf of municipal library boards
• $11,497,575 to system library boards

This amounted to a total of $179,137,363 in municipal operating support for public library service in Alberta, providing a solid foundation upon which the provincial government can layer its support.

Local appropriation is the amount of monetary support a municipality allocates to its municipal library board in operating funds for delivery of public library service in the municipality (which often entails the operation of the municipal library). It can take 2 forms:

• an amount of money appropriated from the local tax base and transferred directly to the library board
• an amount of money expended by the municipality on behalf of the library board for library purposes (for example, utilities, building maintenance, audit or financial review)

Local appropriation per capita is the local appropriation (as defined above) divided by the current population of the municipality served by the library board (as delineated in the Municipal population lists).

This figure allows for the comparison of relative support across different population sizes. A board in a smaller centre can compare the support it receives from its municipality to boards in larger centres.