West Virginia ranks second to last in library visits

CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – Public libraries can serve as a community hub, not just for bookworms. USAFacts recently looked at data from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to see how often people visit their local libraries in each state.

USAFacts conducted their study with IMLS data from 2022. They said this data was collected from around 9,000 of the 123,000 public libraries around the country. When including the libraries’ branches and bookmobiles, those 9,000 public libraries totaled approximately 17,000 individual library outlets, USAFacts says.

West Virginia ranked low on the list coming in second to last with an average of 1.21 visits per person in 2022. The only state where residents visited their libraries less than West Virginia was Hawaii, which had an average of 0.6 visits per person.

USAFacts says Mississippi rounded out the bottom three with an average of 1.3 visits per person in 2022.

Kentucky was also on the lower end with an average of 1.97 library visits per person in 2022. Only 15 states ranked below the Bluegrass state.

Ohio, however, had the third-highest number of visits with an average of 3.41 library visits per person. Washington, DC came in second with an average of 3.78 visits per person, and Wyoming took the top spot with an average of 3.82 visits per person.

Libraries aren’t just for enthusiastic readers, and many libraries also offer digital options for checking out books and more through apps such as Libby or Hoopla. Folks also go to their local libraries for research and school projects, computer and internet access, community events, and more. Many libraries also have opportunities for patrons to check out movies and music.

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