Active cardholders at Ontario’s Public Libraries, 2001-2010
And Selected Variables by OLS Regions
FOPL Data Report, Week 6
We have discussed Active Cardholders and used this variable in other Reports. While the
number reported as Population (Resident) approaches the notion of the population served by a library, the number of Active Cardholders, gives us a number representing people who actually use a library in ways where a library card is required. Not all library uses require a card at all libraries, of course, but this number gives us a means to measure actual users, that is, the people actually directly served by a library. Of course, people benefit from libraries even if they never step in them because a library contributes in many ways to the life of a community but the problem with measuring the benefits of a library is complex but cardholders are measurable.
This week, we focus on this variable over time and include the Population data which we
have presented before in our first table. What percentage of Ontario citizens are library
cardholders? This table shows the aggregate percentages of cardholders to resident
population for the 304 libraries by year. We see declines over time. The following chart
presents these percentages graphically. Populations served are increasing and fewer people—as a percentage—are maintaining library cards. It is hard to construe an argument that this result is good news for libraries.
FOPL_Report_6_Active_cardholders_OLS_Regions