Public library systems in California
The 170 profiled public library systems in California served 36.7 million residents in FY 2024 and logged 2.28 visits and 3.78 physical checkouts per resident, which ranks 38th and 33rd among the 50 states and DC. Operating spending came to $56.12 per resident (21st nationally). Local government supplied 94% of operating revenue, against 85% for all profiled systems nationwide, and the state government 2%.
The largest system is Los Angeles Public Library, serving 3,814,318 residents; 76 systems serve 100,000 or more. At the end of the year, 72% of the state's profiled systems charged no overdue fines on print items. The most common legal form is the municipal library (116 systems).
Visits per resident, system by system
Each dot is one California system, grouped by the size of the population it serves; darker dots have their own profile page. The gold tick marks the national median for that size class.
The 20 largest systems
| System | City | Residents | Visits per resident | Checkouts per resident | Spending per resident |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Public Library | Los Angeles | 3,814,318 | 1.51 | 2.01 | $59.09 |
| LA County Library | Downey | 3,248,285 | 1.70 | 1.70 | $60.09 |
| Orange County Public Libraries | Santa Ana | 1,653,718 | 2.10 | 4.68 | $38.92 |
| Sacramento Public Library | Sacramento | 1,490,915 | 1.35 | 2.84 | $38.30 |
| San Diego Public Library | San Diego | 1,385,379 | 3.65 | 3.87 | $54.01 |
| Riverside County Library System | Jurupa Valley | 1,381,045 | 1.33 | 1.95 | $29.08 |
| San Diego County Library | San Diego | 1,111,527 | 2.50 | 5.26 | $61.63 |
| Contra Costa County Library | Martinez | 1,033,891 | 2.37 | 4.66 | $42.65 |
| Fresno County Public Library | Fresno | 993,976 | 1.12 | 1.86 | $35.58 |
| San Jose Public Library | San Jose | 969,491 | 3.80 | 5.94 | $64.75 |
| Kern County Library | Bakersfield | 888,074 | 0.79 | 0.85 | $11.75 |
| San Francisco Public Library | San Francisco | 843,071 | 4.72 | 8.94 | $199.24 |
| Stockton-San Joaquin County Public Library | Stockton | 724,916 | 0.90 | 1.32 | $21.24 |
| Alameda County Library | Fremont | 581,626 | 2.28 | 7.74 | $67.90 |
| Stanislaus County Free Library | Modesto | 548,744 | 1.42 | 2.22 | $27.67 |
| Sonoma County Library | Rohnert Park | 478,152 | 2.98 | 5.72 | $87.04 |
| Long Beach Public Library | Long Beach | 458,813 | 1.43 | 1.64 | $41.43 |
| Santa Clara County Library | Campbell | 456,355 | 5.40 | 17.73 | $147.69 |
| Oakland Public Library | Oakland | 449,189 | 3.02 | 4.75 | $105.99 |
| Solano County Library | Fairfield | 420,393 | 1.83 | 3.56 | $60.66 |
Highest rates among systems serving 5,000 or more
Of the state's profiled systems, 167 serve at least 5,000 residents.
Visits per resident
- Crowell Public Library · 16.99
- Coronado Public Library · 16.73
- El Segundo Public Library · 16.03
- Mill Valley Public Library · 15.50
- Beverly Hills Public Library · 14.56
Checkouts per resident
- St. Helena Public Library · 22.40
- Yorba Linda Public Library · 21.48
- Santa Clara County Library · 17.73
- Pacific Grove Public Library · 16.64
- Palo Alto City Library · 16.01
Spending per resident
- Beverly Hills Public Library · $398.67
- City of Commerce Public Library · $285.51
- Belvedere-Tiburon Library · $283.07
- Rancho Mirage Public Library · $282.32
- Mill Valley Public Library · $234.70
Revenue mix
Combined operating revenue of $2.2 billion across the 170 systems that reported every revenue source.
- Local government
- State
- Federal
- Other
More system profiles
- Tulare County Free Library · Visalia
- Anaheim Public Library · Anaheim
- Riverside Public Library · Riverside
- Santa Ana Public Library · Santa Ana
- Chula Vista Public Library · Chula Vista
- San Mateo County Libraries · San Mateo
- San Bernardino Public Library · San Bernardino
- Hayward Public Library · Hayward
- Victorville City Library · Victorville
- Brawley Public Library · Brawley