Section F: Circulation and Use Counts

Report circulation for FY25 (July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025). Circulation should only be counted for items checked out of the library’s collection for use outside of the library, including renewals. DO NOT count automatic renewals as circulation. DO NOT count in-house use or computer use as circulation.

Count interlibrary loan transactions only for items borrowed and checked out to customers. Do not include items checked out to another library. Items that are packaged together as a unit (e.g., 10 audio CDs, 3 DVDs,) and are generally checked out as a unit should be counted as one physical unit. 

Do not use circulation multipliers. For example, if a film is checked out and shown to 30 people, count one circulation, not 30. Do not report "automatic renewals" as circulation. 

Circulation Transactions of Physical Items

F01: ADULT BOOKS: Count the total annual circulation of adult books for use outside the library, including renewals. Adult books are those that are intended for use by persons age 19 and over regardless of the age of the person who checks out the book. Do not include items designated as “Young Adult” in this category.

F02: YOUNG ADULT BOOKS: Count the total annual circulation of young adult books for use outside the library, including renewals. Young adult books are those that are intended for use by persons age 12 to 18 regardless of the age of the person who checks out the book. 

F03: CHILDREN’S BOOKS: Count the total annual circulation of children’s books for use outside the library, including renewals. Children’s books are those that are intended for use by persons age 11 and under regardless of the age of the person who checks out the book. Do not include items designated as “Young Adult” in this category.

F04: VIDEO RECORDINGS (PHYSICAL FORMATS): Count the total annual circulation of video recordings for use outside the library including renewals. Video recordings are materials on which moving pictures are recorded, with or without sound. Video formats may include tape, DVD, Blu-Ray, or other physical formats. 

F05: AUDIO RECORDINGS (PHYSICAL FORMATS): Count the total annual circulation of audio recordings for use outside the library, including renewals. Audio recordings are materials on which sounds only are recorded and that can be played back mechanically. Include records, audiocassettes, audio cartridges, audio discs, audio-reels, talking books, or other physical formats.

F06: SERIALS (PHYSICAL FORMATS): Count the total annual circulation of print serials/periodicals for use outside the library, including renewals. Serials include magazines, newspapers, annuals (reports, yearbooks, etc.), journals, memoirs, proceedings and transactions of societies, and numbered monographic series. Government documents and reference tools are often issued as serials.

F07: ALL OTHER ITEMS (CD-ROM BASED PRODUCTS, PUZZLES, ART PRINTS, PAMPHLETS, CAKE PANS, PUPPETS, ETC.): Count the total circulation of everything else not covered in lines F01 to F06, for use outside the library, including renewals. Include the circulation of uncataloged paperbacks or pamphlets.

F08: TOTAL PHYSICAL CIRCULATION BY MATERIAL TYPE (F01+F02+F03+F04+F05+F06+F07): Automatically sums F01 to F07 to calculate total physical circulation by material type.

Lines F09 and F10 should be reported as individual counts. They do not need to add up to a total. These counts are part of the physical total as reported on line F08. Do not count electronic use for lines F09 or F10.

F09: CIRCULATION OF PHYSICAL ITEMS TO THE RURAL POPULATION OF YOUR OWN COUNTY: Report the total annual circulation of all types of physical materials to persons who are rural residents of your county. Include those who have a valid card from another city but who actually live in the unincorporated area of the county. Include renewals. Do not include automatic renewals or in-house use count.

F10: TOTAL PHYSICAL CIRCULATION OF ALL MATERIALS CATALOGED AS "CHILDREN’S": Report the total annual circulation of all children's materials in all physical formats to all users, including renewals. Do not include automatic renewals or in-house use count. Children are considered persons age 11 or under. 

Use of Downloadable Material

F11: BRIDGES E-BOOKS, INCLUDING USE OF ADVANTAGE TITLES. PREFILLED AND LOCKED BY THE STATE LIBRARY: Count the total annual use of Bridges e-books, including use of Advantage titles. Prefilled and locked by the State Library. Please verify and contact Gary Krob if data is incorrect.

F12: ALL OTHER E-BOOKS: Count the total annual use of e-books that are not part of the Bridges consortium. Only count e-book use if those items have been selected by the library and added to the collection. Include use only for items that require a user authentication and have a limited period of use. DO NOT count use for e-books that are part of a general collection such as those in Learning Express or Freading. E-books do NOT need to be cataloged in the library’s OPAC to be counted on this line. Do not report e-books that are part of the Advantage program here. Do not count downloads from services such as Freegal, Freading, Hoopla, etc. on this line. Report that use on line F23.

F13: TOTAL USE OF E-BOOKS (F11+F12): Automatically sums F11 and F12 to calculate total use of e-books.         

F14: TOTAL USE OF DOWNLOADABLE VIDEO RECORDINGS: Count the total annual use of downloadable videos. Only count downloadable video use if those items have been selected by the library and added to the collection. Include use only for items that require a user authentication and have a limited period of use. DO NOT count use for downloadable video that are part of a general collection such as those in Freegal. Downloadable video recordings do NOT need to be cataloged in the library’s OPAC to be counted on this line. Do not count downloads from services such as Freegal, Freading, Hoopla, etc. on this line. Report that use on line F23.

F15: BRIDGES DOWNLOADABLE AUDIO RECORDINGS, INCLUDING USE OF ADVANTAGE TITLES. PREFILLED AND LOCKED BY THE STATE LIBRARY: Count the total annual use of Bridges downloadable audio, including Advantage titles. Prefilled and locked by the State Library. Please verify and contact Gary Krob if data is incorrect.

F16: ALL OTHER DOWNLOADABLE AUDIO RECORDINGS: Count the total annual use of downloadable audios that are not part of the Bridges consortium. Only count downloadable audio use if those items have been selected by the library and added to the collection. Include use only for items that require a user authentication and have a limited period of use. DO NOT count use for downloadable audio that are part of a general collection such as those in Freegal. Downloadable audio recordings do NOT need to be cataloged in the library’s OPAC to be counted on this line. Do not report downloadable audios that are part of the Advantage program here. Do not count downloads from services such as Freegal, Freading, Hoopla, etc. on this line. Report that use on line F23.

F17: TOTAL USE OF DOWNLOADABLE AUDIO RECORDINGS (F15+F16): Automatically sums F15 and F16 to calculate total use of downloadable audio recordings. 

F18: BRIDGES ELECTRONIC SERIALS, INCLUDING USE OF ADVANTAGE TITLES. PREFILLED AND LOCKED BY THE STATE LIBRARY. Count the total annual use of Bridges Electronic Serials, including Advantage Titles. Prefilled and locked by the State Library. Please verify and contact Gary Krob if data is incorrect.

F19: ALL OTHER ELECTRONIC SERIALS: Count the total annual use of electronic serials/periodicals. Serials include periodicals (magazines); newspapers; annuals (reports, yearbooks, etc.); journals; memoirs; proceedings and transactions of societies; and numbered monographic series. Government documents and reference tools are often issued as serials. Include RB Digital or similar use here. Do not count the use of online databases such as Gale on this line.

F20: TOTAL USE OF ELECTRONIC SERIALS (F18+19): Automatically sums F18 and F19 to calculate total use of downloadable audio recordings.

F21: TOTAL USE OF DOWNLOADABLE MATERIALS (F13+F14+F17+F20): Automatically sums F13, F14, F17, and F20 to calculate total use of downloadable materials.

Circulation and Use Totals

F22: TOTAL CIRCULATION OF PHYSICAL AND DOWNLOADABLE MATERIALS (F08+F21): Automatically sums F08 and F21 to calculate the total circulation of physical and downloadable materials. 

Interlibrary Loan

The State Library will automatically fill in data from the SILO ILL system. If your library only uses SILO for ILL, you can skip F28 to F33. Examples of other ILL services are OCLC or print forms.

F23: ILL RECEIVED FROM OTHER LIBRARIES USING THE SILO ILL SERVICE: Prefilled and locked by the State Library.

F24: ILL RECEIVED FROM OTHER LIBRARIES USING ALL OTHER ILL SERVICES. Report the number of transactions in which library material, or copies of the material, are received from other libraries upon request. The libraries involved in interlibrary loan are not under the same administration. Include items borrowed from the State Library, including A/V. Do not report SILO ILL on this line.

F25: TOTAL INTERLIBRARY LOAN RECEIVED FROM OTHER LIBRARIES (F23+F24):Automatically sums F23 and F24 to calculate total ILL received from other libraries.

F26: ILL PROVIDED TO OTHER LIBRARIES USING THE SILO ILL SERVICE. Prefilled and locked by the State Library.

F27: ILL PROVIDED TO OTHER LIBRARIES USING ALL OTHER ILL SERVICES. Report the number of transactions in which library material, or copies of the material, are provided to other libraries upon request. The libraries involved in interlibrary loan are not under the same administration. Include items provided to the State Library, including A/V. Do not report SILO ILL on this line.

F28: TOTAL INTERLIBRARY LOAN PROVIDED TO OTHER LIBRARIES (F26+F27): Automatically sums F26 and F27 to calculate total ILL provided to other libraries.            

Other Use Counts

F29: CURRENT TOTAL NUMBER OF REGISTERED USERS: Report the number of people holding valid library cards as of June 30, 2025. A registered user is a library user who has applied for and received an identification number or card from the public library that has established conditions under which the user may borrow library materials or gain access to other library resources. Note: Files should have been purged within the past three years.

F30: DOOR COUNT ANNUALLY: Report the total annual number of library visits, for any reason, including: 

• To attend programs
• To use meeting rooms
• To use the library’s computers
• To use a water fountain or restroom
• To use of the library’s collection or to check out items
• For any other visit

If an actual door count is unavailable, it is acceptable to conduct a one-week sample. Determine an annual estimate by counting visits during a typical week and multiplying the count by 52. A “typical week” is a time that is neither unusually busy nor unusually slow. Avoid holidays, vacation periods for key staff, or days when unusual events are taking place in the community or the library. Choose a week in which the library is open its regular hours. Include seven consecutive calendar days, from Sunday through Saturday (or whenever the library is usually open). 

F31: IS ANNUAL DOOR COUNT BASED ON AN ANNUAL COUNT (I.E. WITH A DOOR COUNTER) OR AN ANNUAL ESTIMATE BASED ON A TYPICAL WEEK OR WEEKS? Select either Annual Count or Annual Estimate based on typical week(s). 

F32: TOTAL NUMBER OF REFERENCE TRANSACTIONS ANNUALLY – Reference Transactions are information consultations in which library staff recommend, interpret, evaluate, and/or use information resources to help others to meet particular information needs. 

Reference transactions do not include formal instruction or exchanges that provide assistance with locations, schedules, equipment, supplies, or policy statements. 

NOTES:

1. A reference transaction includes information and referral services, unscheduled individual instruction and assistance in using information sources (including websites and computer-assisted instruction).
2. Count Readers Advisory questions as reference transactions.
3. Information sources include (a) printed and non-printed material; (b) machine-readable databases (including computer-assisted instruction); (c) the library’s own catalogs and other holdings records; (d) other libraries and institutions through communication or referral; and (e) persons both inside and outside the library.
4. When a staff member uses information gained from previous use of information sources to answer a question, the transaction is reported as a reference transaction even if the source is not consulted again.
5. If a contact includes both reference and directional services, it should be reported as one reference transaction.
6. Duration should not be an element in determining whether a transaction is a reference transaction.
7. Do not include transactions that include only a directional service, such as instruction for locating staff, library users, or physical features within the library. Examples of directional transactions include, “Where is the reference librarian? Where is Susan Smith? Where is the restroom? Where are the 600s? Can you help me make a photocopy?” 

Annual Count vs. Annual Estimate 

If an annual count of reference transactions is unavailable, count reference transactions during a typical week or weeks, and multiply the count to represent an annual estimate. 

A “typical week” is a time that is neither unusually busy nor unusually slow. Avoid holiday times, vacation periods for key staff, or days when unusual events are taking place in the community or in the library. Choose a week in which the library is open its regular hours. 

Example: If there are four weeks sampled, multiply the totals for those four weeks by 13 to get an estimate for the full year. If the sample is done twice a year (one week at each time, two weeks total) multiply the count by 26 to get the estimated annual count. 

F33: IS NUMBER OF REFERENCE TRANSACTIONS BASED ON AN ANNUAL COUNT (I.E. WITH A DOOR COUNTER) OR AN ANNUAL ESTIMATE BASED ON A TYPICAL WEEK OR WEEKS? Select either Annual Count or Annual Estimate based on typical week(s). 

F34: NUMBER OF INTERNET COMPUTERS FOR PUBLIC USE: Report the number of the library's Internet computers and laptops, whether purchased, leased, or donated, used by the general public in the library. Include computers that are used by both staff and public and by public only.

F35: NUMBER OF USES OF PUBLIC INTERNET COMPUTERS ANNUALLY (YOU MAY COUNT A TYPICAL WEEK AND MULTIPLY BY 52): Report the total annual number of uses of library-owned public Internet computers in the library. If the computer is used for multiple purposes (Internet access, word-processing, OPAC, etc.) and Internet uses cannot be isolated, report all usage. A typical week or other reliable estimate may be used to determine the number. If a week is used to count, multiply by 52 to determine the annual number. Sign-up forms or web-log tracking software also may provide a reliable count of users. 

Count each use of the public internet computers, regardless of the amount of time spent on the computer. A customer who uses the library’s public internet computers three times in a year would count as three uses. For confidentiality purposes, it is recommended that, after recording the needed statistics, logs be discarded each day. Count customer wireless access on line F43 or F43.

F36: IS THE NUMBER OF USES OF PUBLIC INTERNET COMPUTERS BASED ON AN ANNUAL COUNT OR AN ANNUAL ESTIMATE BASED ON A TYPICAL WEEK OR WEEKS? Select either Annual Count or Annual Estimate based on typical week(s).

F37: NUMBER OF WIRELESS SESSIONS ANNUALLY Report the use of the library’s wireless network by all wireless devices. Include use by both public owned and library owned wireless devices. Only report this data if you have been collecting it. If you do not have the data for FY25, report N/A. If you do not provide wireless access for the public, report 0.

F38: IS THE NUMBER OF USES OF WIRELESS SESSIONS ANNUALLY BASED ON AN ANNUAL COUNT OR AN ANNUAL ESTIMATE BASED ON A TYPICAL WEEK OR WEEKS? Select either Annual Count or Annual Estimate based on typical week(s). Libraries that use the WhoFi service only should report as an annual count. 

F39: WEBSITE VISITS FOR LIBRARIES WITH A PLOW WEBSITE ANNUALLY: Visits represent the annual number of sessions initiated by all users from inside or outside the library to the library website. The library website consists of all webpages under the library’s domain. A website “visit” or “session” occurs when a user connects to the library's website for any length of time or purpose, regardless of the number of pages or elements viewed. Usage of library social media accounts (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, etc.) should not be reported here. Prefilled and locked by the State Library.

F40: WEBSITE VISITS FOR ALL OTHER LIBRARIES ANNUALLY: Visits represent the annual number of sessions initiated by all users from inside or outside the library to the library website. The library website consists of all webpages under the library’s domain. A website “visit” or “session” occurs when a user connects to the library's website for any length of time or purpose, regardless of the number of pages or elements viewed. Usage of library social media accounts (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, etc.) should not be reported here. Libraries unable to collect a count of their website visits should report N/A. Libraries without websites should report -3. Libraries with PLOW websites should answer 0 for this question. 

F41: DID YOUR LIBRARY OFFER AUTOMATIC RENEWAL FOR ANY PHYSICAL MATERIALS DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD? - Patrons do not have to take any action for automatic renewals. The Integrated Library System [ILS] rules determine how/when automatic renewals occur. Answer YES or NO, if unknown, report MISSING.