Sequoyah Regional Library System
Sequoyah Regional Library System is a multi-jurisdictional public library system based in Canton (Cherokee County), Georgia, serving a legal service area of 361,084 residents through eight library buildings. Among profiled systems serving 250,000 to 499,999 residents, it ranks eighth-lowest for operating spending per resident and eighth-lowest for program attendance per resident and records the steepest decline in visits since FY 2019.
Among the 60 profiled systems in Georgia, it ranks seventh for population served and eighth for physical checkouts, but ranks last for print volumes per resident. Against the median system of its size class, it records 48% fewer visits per resident and 33% fewer physical checkouts per resident.
Sequoyah Regional against the 122 systems of its size class
Sequoyah Regional since FY 2019
Visits were 67% below the FY 2019 count of 1.2 million (size-class median: −30%). Physical checkouts moved 5% down over the same span.
- Visits
- Physical checkouts
Who comes to Sequoyah Regional programs
Programs for children up to age 11 drew 54% of all program attendance, and sessions averaged 30 people each.
Sequoyah Regional in numbers, FY 2024
- Visits
- 412,569
- Physical checkouts
- 853,555
- …of children's materials
- 491,042
- Electronic checkouts
- 262,508
- …of e-books
- 143,526
- …of e-audio
- 117,293
- Registered users
- 156,593
- Program sessions
- 1,113
- Program attendance
- 33,303
- Print volumes
- 211,928
- Audio items (physical)
- 7,822
- Video items (physical)
- 6,073
- Public computers
- 178
- Public service hours, all outlets
- 19,067
- Paid staff (full-time equivalent)
- 79.2
- Operating spending
- $5.7 million
- …on books and other materials
- $464,328
- Overdue fines on print items
- charged
Where Sequoyah Regional gets its operating money
Operating revenue came to $6.2 million, or $17.23 per resident. The local-government share sits 8 percentage points below the combined share for the 60 profiled systems in Georgia.
- Local government
- State
- Federal
- Other (fines, fees, gifts, grants)
Sequoyah Regional, building by building
The seven buildings cover 120,148 square feet in total, 0.33 square feet per resident against a median of 0.46 for the size class. The largest building is R.t. Jones Memorial Library at 31,100 square feet; the smallest is Cherokee County Law Library at 1,848. The longest hours are at Pickens County Public Library, 61.1 a week.
| Building | Type | Town | Hours a week | Floor area, sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R.t. Jones Memorial Library | Central library | Canton | 53.2 | 31,100 |
| Ball Ground Public Library | Branch | Ball Ground | 50 | 9,000 |
| Cherokee County Law Library | Branch | Canton | 43.1 | 1,848 |
| Gilmer County Public Library | Branch | Ellijay | 59.4 | 28,000 |
| Pickens County Public Library | Branch | Jasper | 61.1 | 18,200 |
| Rose Creek Public Library | Branch | Woodstock | 49.9 | 10,000 |
| Woodstock Public Library | Branch | Woodstock | 49.9 | 22,000 |
Multi-jurisdictional libraries of similar size in other states
Of these six systems, five record more visits per resident than this one. The highest checkout rate in the group belongs to Jefferson-Madison Regional Library in Virginia.
| System | Based in | Residents | Visits per resident | Checkouts per resident | Spending per resident |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Okaloosa County Public Library Cooperative | Niceville, FL | 311,554 | 1.26 | 1.80 | $17.83 |
| Jefferson-Madison Regional Library | Charlottesville, VA | 239,717 | 3.53 | 5.30 | $42.23 |
| Tuscaloosa Public Library | Tuscaloosa, AL | 236,780 | 3.45 | 2.17 | $18.07 |
| Eastern Oklahoma Library System | Muskogee, OK | 236,086 | 2.14 | 1.99 | $25.27 |
| Abbe Regional Library System | Aiken, SC | 228,365 | 0.83 | 1.33 | $6.23 |
| Central Mississippi Regional Library | Brandon, MS | 227,738 | 1.70 | 1.72 | $10.53 |
Nearest in size within Georgia
- Clayton County Library System · Jonesboro · 302,512 residents
- Flint River Regional Library System · Griffin · 295,143 residents
- Live Oak Public Libraries · Savannah · 450,821 residents
- Forsyth County Public Library · Cumming · 279,366 residents