2020 Statistical & Financial Summaries
View details about our budget, collections and new offerings like contactless Curbside Pickup Service and virtual programming.
2020 Statistical & Financial Summaries
Facilities: Central Library, 26 neighborhood branches and Mobile Services
Staffing: 657 (part- and full-time)
Circulation
| Physical items* | |
| 1.7 million | |
| Media (CDs, DVDs, audiobooks) | 677,000 |
| Equipment (laptops, tablets, Wi-Fi hotspots, Kill A Watt power meters) |
9,400 |
| Total physical circulation | 2.36 million |
| Digital items | |
| E-books and e-audiobooks | 4.3 million |
| Streaming and downloadable media | 2.1 million |
| Total digital circulation | 6.4 million (34% increase) |
| Total Circulation | 8.8 million |
|---|---|
| Holds placed | |
| Physical items* | 1.3 million |
| Digital items | 2.8 million (32% increase) |
| Total Holds | 4.1 million |
*The numbers for physical circulation and holds placed are from Jan. 1 to March 13, 2020, and after Aug. 6, 2020, when Curbside Pickup Service launched. Equipment circulation numbers are from Jan. 1 to March 13, 2020, except for Wi-Fi hot spots, which circulated until March 13, 2020 and after Aug. 6, 2020.
Collection Size
| Central Library | 1.01 million |
| Branches and other | 813,000 |
| Total physical collection* | 1.8 million |
| E-collection | 716,500 (35% increase) |
| Total Collection | 2.5 million |
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*No items were added to the physical collection between mid-March and late August 2020 due to our COVID-19-related building closures.
Patron Visits
| In-building visits to Central Library and branches* | 981,000 |
| Curbside visits | 140,000 |
| Online visits (website and catalog visits) | 9.4 million |
| Total Patron Visits | 10.6 million |
|---|
*The number for in-building patron visits is from Jan. 1 to March 13, 2020.
Social Media
| Facebook fans | 54,000 |
| Twitter followers | 22,000 |
| Pinterest followers | 2,400 |
| Instagram followers | 20,000 |
| E-newsletter subscribers | 240,000 |
Service Levels and Programs
| Assisted Information questions answered | 214,000 |
| Database sessions | 343,000 |
| In-person Library classes, events or activities* | 1,710 |
| Attendance of in-person Library programs* | 76,000 |
| Virtual classes, events or activities | 1,100+ |
| Public computer and Wi-Fi sessions* | 460,000 |
| Volunteers* | 430 volunteers; 3,940 hours |
*The numbers for in-person classes, events or activities; public computer and Wi-Fi sessions; and volunteer activity are from Jan. 1 to March 13, 2020.
Operating Budget
| Personnel | $62.1 million |
| Books and materials | $9.5 million |
| Maintenance, security and utilities | $4 million |
| Equipment | $1.1 million |
| Supplies | $739,000 |
| Other (City Central costs, software, training and programming support) | $6.2 million |
| Total Operating Budget | $83.6 million |
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*Our operating budget figures include gifts from The Seattle Public Library Foundation, which accounted for 4.8% of the budget in 2020. Note that the amount and conditions of Foundation grants are at the sole discretion of The Seattle Public Library Foundation’s independent Board of Directors.
Levy Promises Fulfilled
