Numbers show library is used in community

In his Feb. 26 letter “Make tax go away with a second defeat,” Ronald Williams raised some questions about how many Marion residents have library cards as well as their use of the Marion Public Library. As of the end of fiscal year 2011, 27,504 of Marion's 34,768 residents had a library card; nearly 80 percent.

Library patrons borrowed a total of 874,801 items, including 269,551 adult books, 312,954 audio/visual items, 14,741 periodicals, and 8,748 digital downloads. Total circulation to Marion residents was 387,390. The library had an annual door count of 335,845, on average almost 1,000 per day, and the library staff answered 18,797 reference questions.

The library is a place where children can go after school. It's also much more than that.

Doug Raber

Director

Marion Public

Library