West Florida Public Libraries
West Florida Public Libraries is a county public library system based in Pensacola (Escambia County), Florida, serving a legal service area of 334,119 residents through eight library buildings. Among the 121 profiled systems serving 250,000 to 499,999 residents, it ranks fifth-lowest for program attendance per resident.
By population served it is the 20th-largest of the 62 profiled systems in Florida. Against the median system of its size class, it records 47% fewer visits per resident and 43% fewer physical checkouts per resident.
West Florida against the 122 systems of its size class
West Florida since FY 2019
Visits were 31% below the FY 2019 count of 572,533 (size-class median: −30%). Physical checkouts moved 2% down over the same span.
- Visits
- Physical checkouts
Who comes to West Florida programs
Programs for a general audience drew 64% of all program attendance, and sessions averaged 18 people each.
West Florida in numbers, FY 2024
- Visits
- 392,568
- Physical checkouts
- 679,696
- Registered users
- 63,467
- Program sessions
- 1,584
- Program attendance
- 27,753
- Print volumes
- 261,126
- Audio items (physical)
- 10,715
- Video items (physical)
- 34,452
- Public computers
- 144
- Public service hours, all outlets
- 17,676
- Paid staff (full-time equivalent)
- 94.5
- Operating spending
- $7.9 million
- …on books and other materials
- $823,724
- Overdue fines on print items
- charged
Where West Florida gets its operating money
Operating revenue came to $10.4 million, or $31.27 per resident. The local-government share is close to the combined share for the 62 profiled systems in Florida.
- Local government
- State
- Federal
- Other (fines, fees, gifts, grants)
West Florida, building by building
The eight buildings cover 127,780 square feet in total, 0.38 square feet per resident against a median of 0.46 for the size class. The largest building is West Florida Public Library System at 51,500 square feet; the smallest is Century Branch Library at 3,000. The longest hours, 48.2 a week, are shared by seven buildings.
| Building | Type | Town | Hours a week | Floor area, sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Florida Public Library System | Central library | Pensacola | 48.2 | 51,500 |
| Bellview Library | Branch | Pensacola | 48.2 | 12,500 |
| Brownsville Community Center | Branch | Pensacola | 2.3 | 33,000 |
| Century Branch Library | Branch | Century | 48.2 | 3,000 |
| Lucia M. Tryon Branch | Branch | Pensacola | 48.2 | 12,000 |
| Molino Branch Library | Branch | Molino | 48.2 | 4,320 |
| Southwest Branch Library | Branch | Pensacola | 48.2 | 8,000 |
| Westside Branch Library | Branch | Pensacola | 48.2 | 3,460 |
County 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 Washington County Library in Minnesota.
| System | Based in | Residents | Visits per resident | Checkouts per resident | Spending per resident |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union County Public Library | Monroe, NC | 257,682 | 1.41 | 3.19 | $25.20 |
| Henry County Library System | McDonough, GA | 257,669 | 0.76 | 1.28 | $13.93 |
| Washington County Library | Woodbury, MN | 257,137 | 2.66 | 6.81 | $37.83 |
| Lafayette Public Library | Lafayette, LA | 254,241 | 2.98 | 5.39 | $44.16 |
| Yavapai County Free Library District | Prescott, AZ | 251,768 | 0.46 | 0.73 | $13.82 |
| Ventura County Library | Ventura, CA | 244,172 | 1.25 | 2.48 | $52.64 |
Nearest in size within Florida
- St. Johns County Public Library System · St. Augustine · 331,327 residents
- Okaloosa County Public Library Cooperative · Niceville · 311,554 residents
- LeRoy Collins Leon County Public Library System · Tallahassee · 300,806 residents
- St. Lucie County Library System · Fort Pierce · 385,605 residents