Public library systems in West Virginia
The 96 profiled public library systems in West Virginia served 1.8 million residents in FY 2024 and logged 1.56 visits and 2.48 physical checkouts per resident, which ranks 49th and 48th among the 50 states and DC. Operating spending came to $24.68 per resident (48th nationally). Local government supplied 67% of operating revenue, against 85% for all profiled systems nationwide, and the state government 21%.
The largest system is Kanawha County Public Library, serving 160,474 residents; 3 systems serve 100,000 or more. At the end of the year, 48% of the state's profiled systems charged no overdue fines on print items. The most common legal form is the municipal library (45 systems).
Visits per resident, system by system
Each dot is one West Virginia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kanawha County Public Library | Charleston | 160,474 | 1.82 | 2.56 | $55.65 |
| Martinsburg-Berkeley Co. Public Library | Martinsburg | 122,076 | 0.99 | 1.62 | $14.37 |
| Morgantown Public Library | Morgantown | 105,822 | 1.22 | 1.60 | $20.07 |
| Cabell County Public Library | Huntington | 94,350 | 2.61 | 8.07 | $44.43 |
| Raleigh County Public Library | Beckley | 74,591 | 1.81 | 2.76 | $18.30 |
| Parkersburg/Wood Co. Public Library | Parkersburg | 73,644 | 1.86 | 3.49 | $31.07 |
| Putnam County Library | Hurricane | 57,440 | 1.20 | 5.70 | $16.75 |
| Marion County Public Library | Fairmont | 56,205 | 1.82 | 2.87 | $29.87 |
| Clarksburg-Harrison Public Library | Clarksburg | 52,405 | 2.19 | 1.50 | $17.44 |
| Craft Memorial Library | Bluefield | 47,538 | 0.67 | 1.34 | $11.63 |
| Ohio County Public Library | Wheeling | 42,425 | 2.42 | 4.80 | $47.95 |
| Fayette County Public Library | Oak Hill | 40,488 | 1.62 | 1.85 | $21.24 |
| Wayne County Public Library | Kenova | 38,982 | 0.52 | 2.46 | $9.59 |
| Moundsville-Marshall County Public Library | Moundsville | 30,591 | 1.16 | 1.27 | $24.32 |
| Jackson County Public Library | Ripley | 27,791 | 1.52 | 1.37 | $17.79 |
| Keyser-Mineral County Public Library | Keyser | 25,819 | 0.98 | 2.20 | $11.21 |
| Mason County Public Library | Point Pleasant | 25,453 | 0.51 | 0.30 | $11.94 |
| Mary H. Weir Public Library | Weirton | 21,893 | 0.62 | 1.24 | $31.27 |
| Boone-Madison Public Library | Madison | 21,809 | 0.43 | 0.45 | $12.61 |
| Wyoming County Public Library | Pineville | 21,382 | 0.88 | 0.63 | $10.43 |
Highest rates among systems serving 5,000 or more
Of the state's profiled systems, 71 serve at least 5,000 residents.
Visits per resident
- Bridgeport Public Library · 6.52
- Ritchie County Public Library · 5.17
- Pocahontas County Libraries & Visitor Informa · 4.90
- Dora Bee Woodyard Memorial Library · 3.49
- Doddridge County Public Library · 3.32
Checkouts per resident
- Bridgeport Public Library · 9.80
- Cabell County Public Library · 8.07
- Putnam County Library · 5.70
- Greenbrier County Public Library · 5.21
- Hamlin-Lincoln County Public Library · 5.01
Spending per resident
- Bridgeport Public Library · $101.25
- Ritchie County Public Library · $74.42
- South Charleston Public Library · $61.07
- Doddridge County Public Library · $58.94
- Kanawha County Public Library · $55.65
Revenue mix
Combined operating revenue of $48.6 million across the 96 systems that reported every revenue source.
- Local government
- State
- Federal
- Other