Okay, Georgia...this is for you!

     Last week a coworker gave me a great bunch of facts about our public libraries in Georgia.  They are actually from the Georgia Public Library Service, but, I'll tell you, some of them just blow my mind!
     Did you know that during FY2011, every dollar that was invested in Georgia's public libraries provided a return on investment of $6.48?  Does that seem like a lot to you?  Or just a little?                   
     Did you know that in FY2011, Georgians checked out more than 45.7 million items from their public libraries?
     Did you know that public libraries are the number one point of online access for people without Internet connections at home, school or work?  That 100% of Georgia's public libraries provide free high-speed Internet access to the public?
     Did you know that Americans visit libraries more than twice as often as movie theaters?
     I know that's a lot of information to soak up, but look at this...and I'll make it as plain as possible.

     The number of annual visitors to Georgia's public libraries in FY2011 far exceeds the number of visitors to many of the state's other attractions - combined; such as

• Georgia's public libraries: 34.6 million
• Overnight visitors to the city of Savannah: 6.5 million
• Stone Mountain Park: 4 million
• Centennial Olympic Park: 3 million
• Events at the Georgia World Congress Center and the Georgia Dome: 2.4 milion
• Georgia Aquarium: 2.3 million
• UGA and Georgia Tech home football games: 835,000
• Zoo Atlanta: 770,000
• Atlanta Hawks home games: 641,000.

     And Georgians value the benefits that their public library cards provide.

• Georgia's population: 10.2 million
• Georgia's total households: 4 million
• Number of Georgians with library cards: 4.5 million
• Number of Georgians with PINES cards (that's what we have): 2.6 million.

     Did you know that Georgians believe their public libraries are a vital part of their communities?  NO? Well, look at this:

• 3,055 Georgians work in public libraries (that includes me)
• 2,500+ Georgians volunteer with public libraries as members of local "Friends of the Library" organizations (we have a place for you in our MCCLS Friends, too)
• 1,960 Georgians serve as trustees for local public libraries (have you checked out our Board members page on the home page of our website?).

     And last but not least, public libraries are accessible to virtually every community in Georgia.
In Georgia, there are:

• 405 public library branches and service outlets
• 214 communities with a public golf course
• 211 Starbucks stores
• 179 Publix grocery stores
• 140 Walmart stores
• 65 state parks.

     Are you wondering where all this information came from through the Georgia Public Library Service?  The sources are the Georgia Public Library Statistics FY2011, the Georgia Department of Economic Development, and various retailers' websites and annual reports.
     If you want to learn more about Georgia libraries, go to their website (www.georgialibraries.org) and see what else you can learn.
    Because you see, we are all about learning!  We are just full of knowledge!  And we're here to share with you!