LA County Library
LA County Library is a county public library system based in Downey (Los Angeles County), California, serving a legal service area of 3,248,285 residents through 85 library buildings and four bookmobiles. Of all systems profiled nationwide, it ranks third for operating spending, fourth for population served, fifth for total visits and fifth for public computers.
Among the 170 profiled systems in California, it ranks first for number of library buildings and seventh for physical checkouts. Among profiled systems serving 1 million or more residents, it ranks sixth for operating spending per resident, but ranks sixth-lowest for program attendance per resident and records the second-steepest decline in physical checkouts since FY 2019.
LA County against the 35 systems of its size class
LA County in numbers, FY 2024
- Visits
- 5,515,718
- Physical checkouts
- 5,507,595
- …of children's materials
- 3,035,107
- Electronic checkouts
- 4,997,082
- …of e-books
- 2,328,995
- …of e-audio
- 1,432,145
- Registered users
- 2,115,003
- Program sessions
- 12,795
- Program attendance
- 234,917
- Print volumes
- 3,320,455
- Audio items (physical)
- 98,721
- Video items (physical)
- 488,122
- Public computers
- 1,847
- Public service hours, all outlets
- 201,859
- Paid staff (full-time equivalent)
- 868.0
- Operating spending
- $195 million
- …on books and other materials
- $11.9 million
- Overdue fines on print items
- not charged
Where LA County gets its operating money
Operating revenue came to $192 million, or $59.06 per resident. The local-government share sits 4 percentage points below the combined share for the 170 profiled systems in California. Federal money made up 1.7% of the total.
- Local government
- State
- Federal
- Other (fines, fees, gifts, grants)
County libraries of similar size in other states
Of these six systems, three record more visits per resident than this one. The highest checkout rate in the group belongs to Hennepin County Library in Minnesota.
| System | Based in | Residents | Visits per resident | Checkouts per resident | Spending per resident |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Dade Public Library System | Miami, FL | 2,406,299 | 1.52 | 1.24 | $38.92 |
| Queens Borough Public Library | Jamaica, NY | 2,405,464 | 2.71 | 2.64 | $62.46 |
| Harris County Public Library | Houston, TX | 2,281,173 | 1.11 | 3.58 | $16.75 |
| Broward County Libraries Division | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 1,776,271 | 3.03 | 1.69 | $44.10 |
| Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative | Tampa, FL | 1,559,678 | 1.62 | 2.32 | $37.59 |
| Hennepin County Library | Minnetonka, MN | 1,297,847 | 3.69 | 8.86 | $57.68 |
LA County since FY 2019
Visits were 43% below the FY 2019 count of 9.8 million (size-class median: −34%). Physical checkouts moved 57% down over the same span.
- Visits
- Physical checkouts
Who comes to LA County programs
Programs for children up to age 11 drew 70% of all program attendance, and sessions averaged 18 people each.
LA County, building by building
The 85 buildings cover 1,136,654 square feet in total, 0.35 square feet per resident against a median of 0.39 for the size class. The largest building is Lancaster Library at 48,721 square feet; the smallest is Avalon Library at 1,256. The longest hours, 59.9 a week, are shared by two buildings.
| Building | Type | Town | Hours a week | Floor area, sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A C Bilbrew Library | Branch | Los Angeles | 55.6 | 21,843 |
| Acton Agua Dulce | Branch | Acton | 56.5 | 11,343 |
| Agoura Hills Library | Branch | Agoura Hills | 40.1 | 17,722 |
| Alondra Library | Branch | Norwalk | 39.9 | 6,000 |
| Angelo M. Iacoboni Library | Branch | Lakewood | 39.9 | 25,377 |
| Anthony Quinn Library | Branch | Los Angeles | 56.9 | 7,275 |
| Artesia Library | Branch | Artesia | 40.1 | 10,836 |
| Avalon Library | Branch | Avalon | 40.1 | 1,256 |
| Baldwin Park Library | Branch | Baldwin Park | 40.1 | 15,555 |
| Bell Gardens Library | Branch | Bell Gardens | 40.1 | 5,119 |
| Bell Library | Branch | Bell | 40.2 | 4,863 |
| Carson Library | Branch | Carson | 40.3 | 33,112 |
| Castaic Library | Branch | Castaic | 56.4 | 12,232 |
| Charter Oak Library | Branch | Covina | 55.5 | 2,500 |
| Chet Holifield Library | Branch | Montebello | 40.3 | 5,500 |
| City Terrace Library | Branch | Los Angeles | 55.8 | 8,007 |
| Claremont Helen Renwick Library | Branch | Claremont | 40.1 | 22,921 |
| Clifton M. Brakensiek Library | Branch | Bellflower | 40.1 | 20,160 |
| Compton Library | Branch | Compton | 40 | 20,542 |
| Cudahy Library | Branch | Cudahy | 40 | 4,396 |
| Culver City Julian Dixon Library | Branch | Culver City | 39.9 | 21,406 |
| Diamond Bar Library | Branch | Diamond Bar | 55.7 | 18,245 |
| Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library | Branch | Carson | 40.1 | 5,024 |
| Duarte Library | Branch | Duarte | 40 | 10,048 |
| East Los Angeles Library | Branch | Los Angeles | 59.9 | 26,300 |
| East Rancho Dominguez Library | Branch | East Rancho Domingue | 55.6 | 7,215 |
| El Camino Real Library | Branch | Los Angeles | 56.5 | 5,529 |
| El Monte Library | Branch | El Monte | 39.4 | 11,906 |
| Florence Library | Branch | Los Angeles | 55.7 | 7,970 |
| Gardena Mayme Dear Library | Branch | Gardena | 40 | 14,122 |
| George Nye Jr. Library | Branch | Lakewood | 40.3 | 7,100 |
| Graham Library | Branch | Los Angeles | 55.5 | 5,125 |
| Hacienda Heights Library | Branch | Hacienda Heights | 59.7 | 10,398 |
| Hawaiian Gardens Library | Branch | Hawaiian Gardens | 40.1 | 5,585 |
| Hawthorne Library | Branch | Hawthorne | 40.1 | 16,949 |
| Hermosa Beach Library | Branch | Hermosa Beach | 40.1 | 6,496 |
| Hollydale Library | Branch | South Gate | 40.3 | 4,800 |
| Huntington Park Library | Branch | Huntington Park | 40.1 | 33,482 |
| LA Canada Flintridge Library | Branch | LA Canada Flintridge | 39.8 | 16,791 |
| LA Crescenta Library | Branch | LA Crescenta | 59.9 | 15,010 |
| LA Mirada Library | Branch | LA Mirada | 40.1 | 15,704 |
| LA Puente Library | Branch | LA Puente | 40.1 | 10,572 |
| LA Verne Library | Branch | LA Verne | 40.1 | 10,347 |
| Lake Los Angeles Library | Branch | Palmdale | 55.7 | 4,250 |
| Lancaster Library | Branch | Lancaster | 39.8 | 48,721 |
| Lawndale Library | Branch | Lawndale | 40.1 | 17,360 |
| Leland R. Weaver Library | Branch | South Gate | 40.1 | 19,461 |
| Lennox Library | Branch | Lennox | 55.7 | 10,826 |
| Littlerock Library | Branch | Littlerock | 55.7 | 3,680 |
| Live Oak Library | Branch | Arcadia | 59.7 | 7,400 |
| Lloyd Taber-Marina del Rey Library | Branch | Marina del Rey | 55.7 | 7,443 |
| Lomita Library | Branch | Lomita | 40.1 | 8,024 |
| Los Nietos Library | Branch | Whittier | 55.5 | 7,040 |
| Lynwood Library | Branch | Lynwood | 40.1 | 11,722 |
| Malibu Library | Branch | Malibu | 59.7 | 16,530 |
| Manhattan Beach Library | Branch | Manhattan Beach | 57.8 | 21,500 |
| Masao W. Satow Library | Branch | Gardena | 56.5 | 6,639 |
| Maywood Cesar Chavez Library | Branch | Maywood | 40 | 3,362 |
| Montebello Library | Branch | Montebello | 39.8 | 31,097 |
| Norwalk Library | Branch | Norwalk | 40 | 33,749 |
| Norwood Library | Branch | El Monte | 39.6 | 10,303 |
| Paramount Library | Branch | Paramount | 40.2 | 8,750 |
| Pico Rivera Library | Branch | Pico Rivera | 40.1 | 16,000 |
| Quartz Hill Library | Branch | Quartz Hill | 55.5 | 12,514 |
| Rivera Library | Branch | Pico Rivera | 40.1 | 6,724 |
| Rosemead Library | Branch | Rosemead | 40 | 29,860 |
| Rowland Heights Library | Branch | Rowland Heights | 59.8 | 14,863 |
| San Dimas Library | Branch | San Dimas | 40 | 13,628 |
| San Fernando Library | Branch | San Fernando | 40.1 | 10,201 |
| San Gabriel Library | Branch | San Gabriel | 40.1 | 13,718 |
| Sorensen Library | Branch | Whittier | 56.5 | 10,655 |
| South Whittier Library | Branch | Whittier | 55.7 | 14,411 |
| South el Monte Library | Branch | South el Monte | 40.1 | 6,416 |
| Stevenson Ranch Express Library | Branch | Stevenson Ranch | 55.6 | 11,551 |
| Sunkist Library | Branch | LA Puente | 55.5 | 8,314 |
| Temple City Library | Branch | Temple City | 40 | 12,182 |
| Topanga | Branch | Topanga | 59.5 | 11,048 |
| View Park Bebe Moore Campbell Library | Branch | Los Angeles | 55.6 | 6,983 |
| Walnut Library | Branch | Walnut | 40.1 | 10,000 |
| West Covina Library | Branch | West Covina | 40.1 | 42,345 |
| West Hollywood Library | Branch | West Hollywood | 52 | 33,150 |
| Westlake Village Library | Branch | Westlake Village | 40.1 | 11,500 |
| Willowbrook Library | Branch | Los Angeles | 55.5 | 7,797 |
| Wiseburn Library | Branch | Hawthorne | 40.1 | 5,000 |
| Woodcrest Library | Branch | Los Angeles | 55.7 | 7,254 |
| Antelope Valley East Bookmobile | Bookmobile | Lancaster | 39.8 | |
| Antelope Valley West Bookmobile | Bookmobile | Acton | 39.6 | |
| East Bookmobile | Bookmobile | West Covina | 40 | |
| Gateway Bookmobile | Bookmobile | West Covina | 40 |
Nearest in size within California
- Los Angeles Public Library · Los Angeles · 3,814,318 residents
- Orange County Public Libraries · Santa Ana · 1,653,718 residents
- Sacramento Public Library · Sacramento · 1,490,915 residents
- San Diego Public Library · San Diego · 1,385,379 residents