librarysystems

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaAllegheny CountyNonprofit association libraryLarge cityFiscal year January 2024 to December 2024

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is a nonprofit public library system based in Pittsburgh (Allegheny County), Pennsylvania, serving a legal service area of 392,273 residents through 19 library buildings. Among the 435 profiled systems in Pennsylvania, it ranks first for total visits, first for physical checkouts, second for operating spending and second for number of library buildings.

Among profiled systems serving 250,000 to 499,999 residents, it ranks fifth for paid staff per resident, sixth for operating spending per resident, sixth for print volumes per resident and seventh for library floor space per resident, but records the fourth-steepest decline in physical checkouts since FY 2019. Against the median system of its size class, it records 2.3 times the public computers per resident and 94% more visits per resident.

Compare with similar-size systemsSystems serving 250,000 to 499,999

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh against the 122 systems of its size class

size-class median (50th percentile) · spine height = percentile within the class4.29Visitsper resident91st percentile6.23Checkoutsper resident76th percentile$107Spendingper resident95th percentile3.11Print volumesper resident95th percentile200Program visitsper 1,000 people49th percentile14.2Computersper 10,000 people91st percentile49.9Open hoursper outlet a week59th percentile10.1Staff (FTE)per 10,000 people96th percentile
Gold tick: size-class medianVisits per resident4.2991st pct.Checkouts per resident6.2376th pct.Spending per resident$10795th pct.Print volumes per resident3.1195th pct.Program visits per 1,000 people20049th pct.Computers per 10,000 people14.291st pct.Open hours per outlet a week49.959th pct.Staff (FTE) per 10,000 people10.196th pct.

How the measures and percentiles are calculated

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh since FY 2019

Visits were 38% below the FY 2019 count of 2.7 million (size-class median: −30%). Physical checkouts moved 49% down over the same span.

FY 2019 = 100406080100FY 2019FY 2023FY 2024
FY 2019 = 100406080100FY 2019FY 2023FY 2024
  • Visits
  • Physical checkouts

Who comes to Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh programs

Programs for children up to age 11 drew 45% of all program attendance, and sessions averaged 14 people each.

Children 0–1134,962Young adults 12–184,029Adults 19+16,866General interest22,468
Children 0–1134,962Young adults 12–184,029Adults 19+16,866General interest22,468

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh in numbers, FY 2024

Visits
1,683,666
Physical checkouts
2,442,765
…of children's materials
905,024
Electronic checkouts
1,329,932
…of e-books
579,441
…of e-audio
580,141
Registered users
213,505
Program sessions
5,595
Program attendance
78,325
Print volumes
1,220,125
Audio items (physical)
53,604
Video items (physical)
81,459
Public computers
558
Public service hours, all outlets
49,287
Paid staff (full-time equivalent)
396.2
Operating spending
$41.9 million
…on books and other materials
$5.8 million
Overdue fines on print items
not charged

Where Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh gets its operating money

Operating revenue came to $44.6 million, or $113.61 per resident. The local-government share sits 6 percentage points above the combined share for the 435 profiled systems in Pennsylvania. No federal operating revenue was reported.

This system69%17%All profiled systems in Pennsylvania63%17%
This system69%17%All profiled systems in Pennsylvania63%17%
  • Local government
  • State
  • Federal
  • Other (fines, fees, gifts, grants)

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, building by building

The 19 buildings cover 413,804 square feet in total, 1.05 square feet per resident against a median of 0.46 for the size class. The largest building is Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh at 148,845 square feet; the smallest is Sheraden Library at 4,591. The longest hours are at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, 61.9 a week.

BuildingTypeTownHours a weekFloor area, sq ft
Carnegie Library of PittsburghCentral libraryPittsburgh61.9148,845
Allegheny LibraryBranchPittsburgh57.715,005
Beechview LibraryBranchPittsburgh48.68,000
Brookline LibraryBranchPittsburgh49.912,651
Carrick LibraryBranchPittsburgh48.68,144
Downtown and Business LibraryBranchPittsburgh4821,390
East Liberty LibraryBranchPittsburgh50.840,000
Hazelwood LibraryBranchPittsburgh48.77,000
Hill District LibraryBranchPittsburgh48.78,333
Homewood LibraryBranchPittsburgh48.628,776
Knoxville Branch LibraryBranchPittsburgh48.69,764
Lawrenceville LibraryBranchPittsburgh48.710,345
Library of Accessible Media for PennsylvaniansBranchPittsburgh38.634,425
Mount Washington LibraryBranchPittsburgh48.77,474
Sheraden LibraryBranchPittsburgh48.74,591
South Side LibraryBranchPittsburgh48.311,610
Squirrel Hill LibraryBranchPittsburgh58.426,706
West End LibraryBranchPittsburgh48.65,000
Woods Run LibraryBranchPittsburgh485,745

Nonprofit association libraries of similar size in other states

None of these six systems records more visits per resident than this one. None of them matches this system's checkouts per resident.

SystemBased inResidentsVisits per residentCheckouts per residentSpending per resident
Boston Public LibraryBoston, MA650,7062.103.45$88.00
Youngstown and Mahoning County, Pl ofYoungstown, OH226,0052.984.64$89.08
Public Library of Johnston County & SmithfieldSmithfield, NC210,8980.611.08$5.89
Massanutten Regional LibraryHarrisonburg, VA162,5601.464.78$17.74
Ferguson LibraryStamford, CT136,2263.543.39$76.84
Community Libraries of ProvidenceProvidence, RI131,7443.702.37$46.85

Nearest in size within Pennsylvania

All profiled systems in Pennsylvania