librarysystems

First Regional Library

Hernando, MississippiDesoto CountyMulti-jurisdictional libraryLarge suburbFiscal year October 2023 to September 2024

First Regional Library is a multi-jurisdictional public library system based in Hernando (Desoto County), Mississippi, serving a legal service area of 321,878 residents through 14 library buildings and one bookmobile. Among the 53 profiled systems in Mississippi, it leads on population served, total visits, physical checkouts and operating spending.

Among the 109 profiled systems serving 250,000 to 499,999 residents, it ranks fourth-lowest for the electronic share of checkouts. Against the median system of its size class, it records only 47% of the operating spending per resident and 30% fewer physical checkouts per resident.

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

First Regional against the 122 systems of its size class

size-class median (50th percentile) · spine height = percentile within the class1.81Visitsper resident32nd percentile2.49Checkoutsper resident30th percentile$16.89Spendingper resident9th percentile1.14Print volumesper resident41st percentile280Program visitsper 1,000 people68th percentile7.1Computersper 10,000 people62nd percentile40.2Open hoursper outlet a week18th percentile2.6Staff (FTE)per 10,000 people30th percentile
Gold tick: size-class medianVisits per resident1.8132nd pct.Checkouts per resident2.4930th pct.Spending per resident$16.899th pct.Print volumes per resident1.1441st pct.Program visits per 1,000 people28068th pct.Computers per 10,000 people7.162nd pct.Open hours per outlet a week40.218th pct.Staff (FTE) per 10,000 people2.630th pct.

How the measures and percentiles are calculated

First Regional, building by building

The 14 buildings cover 185,508 square feet in total, 0.58 square feet per resident against a median of 0.46 for the size class. The largest building is M. R. Davis Public Library at 43,000 square feet; the smallest is Robinsonville Public Library at 504. The longest hours are at Lafayette County & Oxford Public Library, 60 a week.

BuildingTypeTownHours a weekFloor area, sq ft
Hernando Public LibraryCentral libraryHernando5830,000
B. J. Chain Public LibraryBranchOlive Branch58.59,731
Batesville Public LibraryBranchBatesville5016,184
Emily Jones Pointer Public LibraryBranchComo334,800
Jessie J. Edwards Public LibraryBranchColdwater286,000
Lafayette County & Oxford Public LibraryBranchOxford6024,500
M. R. Davis Public LibraryBranchSouthaven52.543,000
M. R. Dye Public LibraryBranchHorn Lake48.510,964
Robert C. Irwin Public LibraryBranchTunica4813,320
Robinsonville Public LibraryBranchRobinsonville27504
Sam Lapidus Memorial Public LibraryBranchCrenshaw202,856
Sardis Public LibraryBranchSardis316,136
Senatobia Public LibraryBranchSenatobia42.510,513
Walls Public LibraryBranchWalls45.57,000
First Regional Library Words on Wheels BookwagonBookmobileHernando–

A dash marks a value not reported for FY 2024.

First Regional in numbers, FY 2024

Visits
582,977
Physical checkouts
801,675
…of children's materials
342,394
Electronic checkouts
115,623
…of e-books
38,097
…of e-audio
58,665
Registered users
211,853
Program sessions
3,046
Program attendance
90,133
Print volumes
367,817
Audio items (physical)
15,943
Video items (physical)
42,558
Public computers
230
Public service hours, all outlets
31,330
Paid staff (full-time equivalent)
84.5
Operating spending
$5.4 million
…on books and other materials
$271,008
Overdue fines on print items
charged

Where First Regional gets its operating money

Operating revenue came to $5.8 million, or $17.96 per resident. The local-government share is close to the combined share for the 53 profiled systems in Mississippi.

This system81%13%All profiled systems in Mississippi79%13%
This system81%All profiled systems in Mississippi79%
  • Local government
  • State
  • Federal
  • Other (fines, fees, gifts, grants)

First Regional since FY 2019

Visits were 29% below the FY 2019 count of 826,211 (size-class median: −30%). Physical checkouts moved 1% up over the same span.

FY 2019 = 10060708090100110FY 2019FY 2023FY 2024
FY 2019 = 10060708090100110FY 2019FY 2023FY 2024
  • Visits
  • Physical checkouts

Who comes to First Regional programs

Programs for children up to age 11 drew 62% of all program attendance, and sessions averaged 30 people each.

Children 0–1156,044Young adults 12–182,656Adults 19+6,317General interest25,116
Children 0–1156,044Young adults 12–182,656Adults 19+6,317General interest25,116

Multi-jurisdictional libraries of similar size in other states

Of these six systems, four record more visits per resident than this one. The highest checkout rate in the group belongs to Central Rappahannock Regional Library in Virginia.

SystemBased inResidentsVisits per residentCheckouts per residentSpending per resident
Mobile Public LibraryMobile, AL371,9842.093.12$30.22
Sequoyah Regional Library SystemCanton, GA361,0841.142.36$15.73
Central Rappahannock Regional LibraryFredericksburg, VA347,0333.206.58$38.94
Central Arkansas Library SystemLittle Rock, AR344,5533.533.46$79.19
Okaloosa County Public Library CooperativeNiceville, FL311,5541.261.80$17.83
Flint River Regional Library SystemGriffin, GA295,1431.842.96$20.48

Nearest in size within Mississippi

All profiled systems in Mississippi