Wasilla Public Library
Wasilla Public Library is a county public library based in Wasilla (Matanuska-Susitna Borough), Alaska, serving a legal service area of 51,796 residents from a single building. Among the 42 profiled systems in Alaska, it ranks second for physical checkouts, third for population served, fourth for total visits and fourth for operating spending, but ranks last for public computers per resident and last for paid staff per resident.
Against the median system of its size class, it records 35% less program attendance per resident and 36% more physical checkouts per resident.
Wasilla against the 559 systems of its size class
Who comes to Wasilla programs
Programs for children up to age 11 drew 73% of all program attendance, and sessions averaged 40 people each.
Nearest in size within Alaska
- Juneau Public Libraries · Juneau · 31,549 residents
- Fairbanks North Star Borough Public Libraries · Fairbanks · 95,972 residents
- Palmer Public Library · Palmer · 26,978 residents
- Ketchikan Public Library · Ketchikan · 13,475 residents
Wasilla in numbers, FY 2024
- Visits
- 107,662
- Physical checkouts
- 240,158
- …of children's materials
- 139,940
- Electronic checkouts
- 63,796
- …of e-books
- 20,176
- …of e-audio
- 33,462
- Registered users
- 15,484
- Program sessions
- 242
- Program attendance
- 9,722
- Print volumes
- 67,715
- Audio items (physical)
- 3,190
- Video items (physical)
- 5,610
- Public computers
- 24
- Public service hours, all outlets
- 2,000
- Paid staff (full-time equivalent)
- 11.0
- Operating spending
- $1.6 million
- …on books and other materials
- $104,568
- Overdue fines on print items
- charged
Where Wasilla gets its operating money
Operating revenue came to $1.6 million, or $30.04 per resident. The local-government share is close to the combined share for the 42 profiled systems in Alaska. No federal operating revenue was reported.
- Local government
- State
- Federal
- Other (fines, fees, gifts, grants)
The Wasilla building
The single building covers 24,400 square feet, 0.47 square feet per resident against a median of 0.62 for the size class. It is open 38.5 hours a week.
| Building | Type | Town | Hours a week | Floor area, sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wasilla Public Library | Central library | Wasilla | 38.5 | 24,400 |
County libraries of similar size in other states
Of these six systems, two record more visits per resident than this one. The highest checkout rate in the group belongs to Queen Anne's County Free Library in Maryland.
| System | Based in | Residents | Visits per resident | Checkouts per resident | Spending per resident |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Culpeper County Library | Culpeper, VA | 53,097 | 2.33 | 4.01 | $24.29 |
| Shelbyville-Bedford County Public Library | Shelbyville, TN | 53,055 | 0.76 | 0.83 | $6.32 |
| Hawkins County Library System | Rogersville, TN | 53,044 | 1.46 | 1.41 | $6.71 |
| St. Martin Parish Library | St. Martinville, LA | 51,218 | 1.27 | 0.89 | $40.68 |
| Starkville-Oktibbeha County Public Library System | Starkville, MS | 51,203 | 1.61 | 1.77 | $14.92 |
| Queen Anne's County Free Library | Centreville, MD | 50,798 | 2.60 | 5.62 | $62.21 |