ABOUT THE LIBRARY
IMCPL Increases Circulation of Print Materials
June 14, 2006
Through the first five months of 2006, circulation of print materials at the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library increased nearly 10 percent over the same period in 2005.
More than 3.3 million print items, including adult and juvenile fiction and non-fiction, foreign language and large print materials, music scores and magazines, were checked out by Library patrons from January through May 2006, compared to just over 3 million items in 2005.
Throughout 2006, books comprised over 63 percent of all items checked out. The remainder of IMCPL's collection includes DVDs, music CDs, audiobooks and VHS tapes.
Total circulation at IMCPL's 22 branch locations, the Interim Central Library and the Bookmobile is up 18 percent over the first five months of 2005, reflecting the Library's commitment to provide patrons with more in-demand materials and better access to them.
"Our mission is to remain relevant in the lives of our patrons," stated IMCPL CEO Linda Mielke. "We've been successful in retooling our collection and making it easier for people to find what they want without sacrificing the depth and variety of our offerings," Mielke added.
Mielke reiterated the Library's intention to maintain a sizeable collection of older materials, along with research materials, foreign language materials and self-help books. But fewer copies of these items are included within the overall collection due to their relatively low demand.
Patrons may request that individual titles be added to the Library collection and that the Library reconsider items not in the collection that had been deemed inappropriate.
Patron visits to IMCPL facilities are up over four percent in 2006, following a record door count of 5.4 million visitors in 2005. As of June 1, 2006, there were 413,193 registered IMCPL cardholders, up from 394,060 at the end of 2005.
Patrons can review the Library's catalog of nearly two million items, reserve and designate pickup locations for materials on the Library's website.
