New Freckle Project Report Examines 15 Years of Public Library Use

From EveryLibrary Institute:

A new Freckle Project Report, “15 Years of IMLS Figures”, looks at national public library statistics from 2010 through 2024 and identifies a striking contrast: American public libraries have more facilities, more staff, and higher levels of funding than at any point in the period examined, while several major measures of physical library use remain substantially below their 2010 levels. The Freckle Project is led by researcher Tim Coates, and its publication is supported by the EveryLibrary Institute.

The August 2026 Report examines 15 years of data from the Institute of Museum and Library Services on America’s public libraries. In 2024, the United States had 17,580 public library facilities and 147,289 library employees, while public libraries received nearly $18 billion for operations and another $1.6 billion for capital expenditures. Yet annual visits declined from approximately 1.57 billion in 2010 to 869 million in 2024, while total circulation fell from approximately 2.47 billion to 1.71 billion.

Coates’s analysis highlights an especially significant decline in adult physical circulation. After subtracting electronic and children’s circulation from total circulation, he estimates that this category fell approximately 68 percent between 2010 and 2024.

In a new video conversation with John Chrastka, Executive Director of the EveryLibrary Institute, Coates argues that libraries should respond by looking closely at their physical collections: whether readers can find the subjects, authors, practical nonfiction, classics, and backlist titles they want; whether outdated or marginal holdings are crowding out stronger material; and whether library collections are presented in ways that make browsing easy and inviting.

One of the report’s central ideas is that collection analysis should ask not only “What circulates?” but also “What doesn’t circulate because we haven’t got it?”

Coates recommends investigating declining circulation on a branch-by-branch and shelf-by-shelf basis while strengthening core collections, improving discovery and displays, and paying greater attention to the physical environment for reading.

The full August 2026 report, the video conversation, and previous Freckle Project research are available from the EveryLibrary Institute.

Filed under: Data Files, Funding, Libraries, News, Public Libraries