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Public Libraries
There are 370 public libraries, 106 branch libraries and four bookmobiles in Massachusetts
Holdings
The public libraries in Massachusetts offered 43.8 million books, magazines, compact discs, video and audio tapes, computer software and more to residents.
Visits
Visits to public libraries during the year numbered more than 31 million, an average of 4.8 visits for every state resident.
Circulation
Patrons borrowed more than 52 million books and other materials from public libraries- an average of 8.1 items for each resident.
Average Expenditure
The average annual public library expenditure in the Commonwealth was $37.11 per person. The average cost of a book was $54. If each resident had purchased the average number of books borrowed from Massachusetts public libraries, the cost would have been $437 per person.
Programs
Libraries hosted 98,539 programs for children, young adults and adults.
Computer Access
Public libraries in Massachusetts provided 4,806 public access Internet computers.
Wireless Internet Access
Sixty-nine percent of public libraries in Massachusetts provided wireless Internet access for public use in their facilities.
Internet Services
Patrons used public Internet computers almost 10.5 million times.
Reference Questions
Public library staff answered an average of 99,529 reference questions per week.
Braille and Talking Books
The Braille and Talking Book Library at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown and the Talking Book Library at the Worcester Public Library sent an average of 10,366 books in Braille, large print or on cassette and described videos per week to their patrons.
School Library Visits
More than 10,167 students visited school libraries each week of the 2005-2006 school year.
Delivery
Public, school, academic and special libraries in Massachusetts lent and borrowed 12.6 million items for their patrons through the statewide interlibrary loan cooperative program.
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