librarysystems

Memphis Public Library and Information Center

Memphis, TennesseeShelby CountyCity-county libraryLarge cityFiscal year July 2023 to June 2024

Memphis Public Library and Information Center is a city-county public library system based in Memphis (Shelby County), Tennessee, serving a legal service area of 791,686 residents through 19 library buildings and one bookmobile. Among the 184 profiled systems in Tennessee, it ranks first for population served, first for print volumes, second for operating spending and second for program attendance.

Among profiled systems serving 500,000 to 999,999 residents, it ranks third-lowest for physical checkouts per resident and tenth-lowest for visits per resident and records the third-steepest decline in visits since FY 2019. Against the median system of its size class, it records 39% less operating spending per resident and 30% less program attendance per resident.

Compare with similar-size systemsSystems serving 500,000 to 999,999

Memphis against the 61 systems of its size class

size-class median (50th percentile) · spine height = percentile within the class1.15Visitsper resident16th percentile0.80Checkoutsper resident4th percentile$29.16Spendingper resident27th percentile1.62Print volumesper resident73rd percentile129Program visitsper 1,000 people16th percentile8.6Computersper 10,000 people70th percentile46.1Open hoursper outlet a week47th percentile4.1Staff (FTE)per 10,000 people48th percentile
Gold tick: size-class medianVisits per resident1.1516th pct.Checkouts per resident0.804th pct.Spending per resident$29.1627th pct.Print volumes per resident1.6273rd pct.Program visits per 1,000 people12916th pct.Computers per 10,000 people8.670th pct.Open hours per outlet a week46.147th pct.Staff (FTE) per 10,000 people4.148th pct.

How the measures and percentiles are calculated

Memphis, building by building

The 19 buildings cover 577,218 square feet in total, 0.73 square feet per resident against a median of 0.45 for the size class. The largest building is Memphis Public Library and Information Center at 330,000 square feet; the smallest is Levi Branch at 4,500. The longest hours, 60 a week, are shared by two buildings.

BuildingTypeTownHours a weekFloor area, sq ft
Memphis Public Library and Information CenterCentral libraryMemphis60330,000
Bartlett Branch LibraryBranchBartlett6022,000
Cherokee Branch LibraryBranchMemphis4810,000
Cordova Branch LibraryBranchMemphis5628,030
Cornelia Crenshaw BranchBranchMemphis486,690
Cossitt Branch LibraryBranchMemphis565,801
East Shelby BranchBranchMemphis4830,000
Frayser BranchBranchMemphis486,400
Gaston Park BranchBranchMemphis485,100
Hollywood BranchBranchMemphis4814,500
Levi BranchBranchMemphis484,500
North BranchBranchMemphis489,200
Officer Geoffrey Redd LibraryBranchMemphis4811,181
Orange Mound Library and Genealogy CenterBranchMemphis4817,000
Parkway Village BranchBranchMemphis488,800
Raleigh BranchBranchMemphis5617,000
Randolph BranchBranchMemphis4811,640
South BranchBranchMemphis4811,376
Whitehaven BranchBranchMemphis4828,000

Memphis in numbers, FY 2024

Visits
906,949
Physical checkouts
635,938
…of children's materials
307,957
Electronic checkouts
576,499
…of e-books
283,247
…of e-audio
201,658
Registered users
295,299
Program sessions
4,744
Program attendance
101,734
Print volumes
1,279,859
Audio items (physical)
44,226
Video items (physical)
29,435
Public computers
682
Public service hours, all outlets
47,940
Paid staff (full-time equivalent)
323.0
Operating spending
$23.1 million
…on books and other materials
$1.1 million
Overdue fines on print items
not charged

Where Memphis gets its operating money

Operating revenue came to $25.3 million, or $31.95 per resident. The local-government share is close to the combined share for the 184 profiled systems in Tennessee.

This system97%All profiled systems in Tennessee94%
This system97%All profiled systems in Tennessee94%
  • Local government
  • State
  • Federal
  • Other (fines, fees, gifts, grants)

Memphis since FY 2019

Visits were 54% below the FY 2019 count of 2 million (size-class median: −30%). Physical checkouts moved 35% down over the same span.

FY 2019 = 10030507090110FY 2019FY 2023FY 2024
FY 2019 = 10030507090110FY 2019FY 2023FY 2024
  • Visits
  • Physical checkouts

Who comes to Memphis programs

Programs for children up to age 11 drew 48% of all program attendance, and sessions averaged 21 people each.

Children 0–1149,137Young adults 12–186,557Adults 19+46,040
Children 0–1149,137Young adults 12–186,557Adults 19+46,040

Closest in size nationwide

All six of these systems record more visits per resident than this one. The highest checkout rate in the group belongs to Multnomah County Library in Oregon.

SystemBased inResidentsVisits per residentCheckouts per residentSpending per resident
Metropolitan Library SystemOklahoma City, OK808,8662.316.45$59.93
Multnomah County LibraryPortland, OR802,4642.1912.35$121.00
Seattle Public LibrarySeattle, WA797,7003.685.60$125.65
Cobb County Public Library SystemMarietta, GA783,5361.802.30$24.43
Lee County Library SystemFort Myers, FL779,2211.833.48$47.86
Louisville Free Public LibraryLouisville, KY772,1442.292.87$31.25

Nearest in size within Tennessee

All profiled systems in Tennessee