New IMLS Report: “State-Level Analysis of Public Library Service Adaptations in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic”

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced today the release of a report “State-Level Analysis of Public Library Service Adaptations in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.”

This report focuses on state- and territory-level profiles covering public library financial health, resources, services, usage, and staffing from FY 2018 through FY 2021, additionally highlighting the following national findings:

• Fewer public library systems reported buildings closed to the public due to COVID-19 policies in FY 2021 (57 percent) compared to FY 2020 (90 percent).

• Electronic material circulation rates continued to increase through FY 2021, maintaining a trend first noted in FY 2018.

• The percentage of libraries allowing patrons to register for library cards online continued to increase in cities and suburbs, and libraries offering this option had higher electronic circulation per person than those that did not.

• Outside Wi-Fi access continued to be a popular way that public libraries met the digital needs of their communities, especially in rural and town libraries.

• Outside circulation of collection materials (e.g., curbside pick-up) remained a widely adopted service offered by libraries, with at least 80 percent offering it in both FY 2020 and FY 2021.

This report builds on the previous IMLS research briefs that used national and state-level data to explore how public libraries throughout the United States responded to COVID-19, showcasing the significant role libraries have in their communities, including “Access to Public Library Services and Materials During the First Nine Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic,” (IMLS, 2023) and “Changes in Public Library Services as the COVID-19 Pandemic Continued Through FY 2021,” (IMLS, 2024). Both publications show how public libraries ensured patrons had access to library services as the pandemic forced closures in communities around the nation beginning in March 2020.

Additionally, IMLS’s Library Search and Compare Tool includes library-level detail on COVID-19-related services such as whether a particular library continued services that were added or increased during COVID-19 closures, issued e-library cards, or boosted Wi-Fi access outside of library buildings. Access the Library Search and Compare Tool here.

To read the PLS analysis here.

Direct to Report: “State-Level Analysis of Public Library Service Adaptations in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.”