Statistics 2016

The chart below indicates the total number of Saskatchewan residents with library cards and the number of active patrons who have used their public library card at least once in the past two years. The data for active patrons is based on customers whose records show one of the following activities: check out, renewal, check-in, billing, payment, placing a hold, a new registration, or a login authentication to access an electronic resource.

Context: Prior to SILS forming in 2010, each library system used their own separate software, so many Saskatchewan residents had multiple library cards as a result. The launch of SILS meant that a library card could be used at any public library in the province (‘One Province, One Library Card’!). Because residents are no longer required to carry library cards for multiple library systems, the total number of cardholders in recent years more accurately reflects the number of residents registered at a public library in Saskatchewan. ​ ​Other factors that may have affected registered borrower counts include changes to the definition of a registered borrower, concerted attempts to remove duplicate borrowers from the database, and a change in policy in 2013 which made library cards transferable. This policy change may have resulted in libraries issuing fewer cards as families are now able to share a single card. All factors have remained consistent since September 2015, at which point the library system software changed and more accurate counts became available.

Data available: 2009-present; historical data available from government publications: 2009; 2010-2014

The chart below provides the number of unique titles in SILS, as well as the number of new titles added per year. Electronic titles refer to e-books and e-audio books included in the catalogue, and ‘print’ titles refer to physical books and media.

Data available: 2016-present

The chart below provides the number of physical items in SILS that are available for patrons to borrow, broken down by item type. E-items such as e-books and e-audiobooks are not included.

Data available: 2016-present

The chart below provides total annual circulation of physical materials (electronic materials are not included) by library system for the last full year. Included are the number of unique borrowers, total circulation (checkouts and renewals combined), and total holds placed.

The chart below provides the number of eBooks and eAudiobooks from the Library2Go collection that were used by Saskatchewan residents in the last full year.

Data available: 2014-present

The chart below provides the number of physical items that were shipped between SILS agencies to fill hold requests. ILL (interlibrary loan) items are excluded.

Context: In 2016, 81% of the material shipped filled a hold request for titles that were not owned by the patron’s local library system. 14% of the material shipped filled a hold request for titles that were owned by the local library system, but were out on loan. 5% of the material shipped filled a hold request for titles that were owned by the local library system, but were unavailable for other reasons.

Data available: 2016-present

The chart below shows the number of patrons who used their library cards in person at a library branch outside the library system that issued their card.

Data available: 2016 to present