Visits, Program Attendance Increasing at North Canton Public Library

, according to a 2011 report to the state of Ohio reflects continued growth and strong performance in a variety of operating areas. 

The filing of the Ohio Library Statistics Administration Form is required of all Ohio libraries that receive state funding.

The report details the following percentage increases over 2010, provided by the North Canton Public Library, are:

• 248,710 library visits, up 3 percent
• 35,654 library card holders, a 7 percent increase
• 25,323 new items were added to the collection, up 20 percent
• 23,504 reference questions were answered, 12 percent more than last year
• 17,048 people attended library programs, 28 percent more than last year
• The library was open to the public 3,068 hours, up 21 percent from 2010
• 2,927 people visited the library’s , 3 percent more than last year

"We’re really pleased with these numbers because they reflect the terrific response we’ve received from the community for the materials and services the library has been able to offer," Library Executive Director Sandi Lang said. "We circulated 983,936 items in 2011.”

Lang went on to say that the library’s strong growth is indicative of a combination of factors. 

"Voters decided to support our levy request and, as we promised it would, that has made all the difference in the world, particularly in terms of expanding our hours of operation and being able to add new materials to the collection,” she said. “On top of that, the community really is taking advantage of what we have to offer, and that’s a strong validation.”    

Lang also gave credit to the library staff and board.

“We’re blessed with a simply outstanding staff that works very hard to provide the best service possible to everyone who visits us, and we have an active and engaged board that supports us in every way they can. That’s a hard combination to beat.”