Public libraries are invaluable community assets that promote literacy, community, workforce development, civic engagement, and other benefits. Where are Atlanta’s libraries located? How are they funded? And where are libraries utilized the most?
To answer these questions, we utilize data from the Public Libraries Survey from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).[1] The IMLS conducts this survey annually of all public library systems in the nation; the most recent data release is for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023.[2] All 60 of Georgia’s library systems[3] responded to the survey.
Figure 1 presents the location of public library facilities in the 11-county ARC region and environs. The size of the symbol is in proportion to the square footage of each branch.
Figure 1: Libraries Serving the 11-County ARC Region, by Size of Branch
Data Source: Institute of Museum and Library Services, Public Libraries Survey Fiscal Year 2023
We see that different counties have different strategies of library placement. With the notable exception of the Margaret Mitchell Central Library in the heart of Downtown, Fulton opts for smaller branches more densely clustered in the City of Atlanta– with fewer but larger branches in the rest of the county. At the other end of the spectrum, Rockdale County has one single large branch.
A note before presenting data at the system level: Georgia has 159 counties but only 60 library systems. This means that some counties belong to the same system. Within our region, this is true, respectively, for Cherokee County[4], Douglas County[5], and Fayette County.[6] The IMLS survey reports data by system and not by county, so the graphs presenting data for these three counties represent the entire systems to which those counties belong.[7]
Different systems draw funding from differing mixtures of sources. Figure 2 shows the relative importance of local government, state government, federal government, and other funds toward each system’s operating budget for library systems serving the 11-county ARC region
Figure 2: Funding Sources for Library Systems Serving the 11-County ARC Region
As this graph shows, local governments provide the lion’s share of funding to public libraries. But there is also variation: DeKalb and Fulton libraries receive over 90% of their funding from local government, while Cherokee and Fayette belong to systems where the number is just over 70%. State government provides the highest proportion of funding for Rockdale and Flint River (Fayette), while Sequoyah Regional (Cherokee) has the largest proportion of funds coming from other sources. The Federal government provides only a small amount of library funding.
Who uses public libraries the most? The answer depends on what you look at.
Figure 3 presents total visits per capita (total visits, divided by total population in the service area) in FY 2023 for libraries serving the 11-county ARC region.
Figure 3: Visits per Capita for Library Systems Serving the 11-County ARC Region
In terms of visits, Fulton occupies the top spot with 2.8 visits per capita, followed by Forsyth County. Henry, Clayton, and Rockdale Counties have the lowest utilization rates, at less than one annual visit per person.
Figure 4 shows circulation transactions (including e-books) per capita for the same period.
Figure 4: Transactions per Capita for Library Systems Serving the 11-County ARC Region
Forsyth County has by far the most transactions per person of any system serving the 11 counties. Fulton, which had the most visits per person, drops to third, while DeKalb has the second most transactions per person. Consistent with lower visitation rates, Henry, Rockdale, and Clayton also check out the fewest materials per person.
For those interested in exploring library locations, We have published a feature service of current public library locations in Georgia on our Open Data Portal
Notes
[1] The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is a federal agency that supports libraries, archives and museums nationwide.
[2] Fiscal calendars vary by state. In the case of Georgia, the reporting period is July 2022 through June of 2023.
[3] We now have 61 systems in Georgia. The Greater Clarks Hill Regional Library System split into two separate systems as of January 1, 2026.
[4] Cherokee County participates in the Sequoyah Regional Library System alongside Gilmer and Pickens counties.
[5] Douglas County is a member of the West Georgia Regional Library System, which also includes Carroll, Haralson, Heard, and Paulding counties.
[6] Fayette County is part of the Flint River Regional Library System along with Butts, Lamar, Monroe, Pike, and Spalding counties.
[7] Asterisks by these counties’ names will serve as a reminder of this fact.