Library system reports busiest year ever

Published 2:27 pm Monday, February 22, 2010

The Pierce County Library System drew record numbers in 2009, surpassing the attendance of the Tacoma Dome, which hosted concerts headlined by Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears.

Pierce County library visits were pegged at more than 2.6 million, up from 15 percent in 2008.

The Tacoma Dome averages around 700,000 to 800,000 guests each year.

The library surpassed attendance at other major events in the Puget Sound area last year, including Seahawks home games and Mariners games which had 539,141 visitors and nearly 2.2 million visitors, respectively.

“We had a banner year in all of our libraries and online,” said Neel Parikh, executive director for the library System. “Since voters passed a re-authorized levy in 2006, each year our customer base and business has grown. 2009 was off the charts definitely in part due to the economic downturn. We are very happy to serve our communities and offer them the services and access they need.”

From 2008 to 2009, Web site visits increased 65 percent, there was an 18-percent increase in items checked out and the number of card holders was up by 13 percent.

At the Bonney Lake branch there were 482,882 items checked out in 136,991 visits in 2009. In Sumner, there were 489,737 checkouts in 174,263 visits, and Buckley saw 209,486 checkouts in 75,401 visits.

“Residents turned to their Pierce County library during this tough economy and hard time in their lives. We are proud to help them,” said Parikh.

Parikh said the library system responded to the change in consumer habits.

“2009 showed a dramatic shift in how people are using their library and we are stepping up to that demand. People cancelled their movie rental accounts, so we offered more DVDs. They stopped buying books, so we bought more best sellers,” Parikh said.

The library increased its resources to help people find jobs and improve computer skills for jobs. Residents worked with professional online tutors and expert coaches for every stage of the job search, including career coaching and critiques on resumes and cover letters, as well as online interview practice and feedback.

The library plans to also open six job and small business centers in its libraries to give people free help finding and getting jobs and starting small businesses.