Packed libraries in valley register lower circulation, visitor numbers

Go to the library. Right now. It's OK. We'll wait.

You're back. Amazing, huh? It's really crowded over there. Because of budget cuts, everything is shrinking -- except the crowds.

Oh, wait. You didn't have time to go? Well, this is what it looks like.

Stand outside the door of pretty much any branch in town just before it opens at 10 a.m., and you'll be in a crowd of people. The security guard will approach from the inside to unlock the door, and the people will inch closer. It's a little uncomfortable, that gaggle of strangers pressing in on you when all you want to do is grab the latest James Patterson thriller on your way to work.

When the lock clicks, the people at the front of the gaggle race in. They're not running, but they are clearly on a mission.

About a third of the crowd heads toward the computers. Probably filling out job applications, checking the job boards, checking job-related e-mails. These days, if you don't have a computer, you probably can't get a job. And if you don't get to the library early, your chance of getting on a computer at your whim is slim.

A few people with toddlers clinging to them head into the children's section. The rest mingle. Fiction, nonfiction, movies, music. Whatever.

"We are open fewer hours, we're busier and we're doing it with fewer people," said Pat Marvel, a spokeswoman for the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District. "Our computers are just busy every single minute that we're open."

In the last full fiscal year, which ended June 30, the district saw increases in both visitor volume and in materials checked out.

But starting July 1, new budget- cutting measures took effect. The district is down almost 100 employees. It cut the hours the metropolitan branches are open by 12 hours a week. It cut its budget to buy new books and movies from 20 percent of overall spending to 15 percent.

Because the libraries are open fewer hours, it's difficult to compare this year with last year. Overall, total circulation and visitor volume has dropped slightly.

But the per hour volume jumped quite a bit over 2009 because of the cut in hours. That means it's busier in the hours the library is open.

Circulation per hour in August 2009, for example, ran about 3,000 district wide. In August 2010, that number was 3,400. Visitor count increased from 1,941 an hour to 2,035 an hour. August's are the latest monthly stats available.

All the while, staffing is down 12 percent. The district laid off 28 people, froze 56 open positions and OK'd 12 early retirements.

What's it all mean?

It means it can be hard to get that new best-seller you've had your eye on. It means you might be on a waiting list behind 400 other people.

"The Reversal" by Michael Connelly, for example, topped the New York Times best-seller list last week. The library district has 113 copies. Seems like plenty, right? Not at all. More than 400 people have put a "hold" on the book, meaning they're in line for the next available copy. Because you can keep books up to three weeks -- less for some best-sellers and movies -- it can take months to get the book you really want.

It's similar for all categories.

The three books in "The Hunger Games" trilogy by Suzanne Collins, the latest megahit in the young adult category, have hundreds of holds on them.

Let's do the math with round numbers. If there are 100 copies checked out, and each person keeps it three weeks, then 400 copies would turn over in 12 weeks. Right? That's assuming no one keeps it longer than they're supposed to, or renews their checkout, or loses or steals the book.

So, months.

It's best, usually, to get last year's best-sellers. It's even better to get on the waiting list before the book comes out. That works, too.

Robb Morss, the district's deputy director, said it's a little bit art and a little bit science to figure out which titles to buy and how many copies the district should have.

Some are easy. Books by Danielle Steele, James Patterson and Michael Connelly, for example. They're always atop the most-checked-out list.

Generally, he said, the district tries to keep a five-to-one or lower ratio on holds to copies. If they have 100 copies of a book, for example, they'll buy more if there are more than 500 people requesting a hold on the book.

For DVDs, because the checkout time is only a week, the ratio is more like eight- or 10-to-one, he said.

The district's general fund budget -- that's most everything but capital projects and debt service -- is about $52.5 million this year, a dip of about 2 percent over last year. Almost all the district's revenue comes from property and sales taxes.

Contact reporter Richard Lake at
rlake@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0307.