ATTENDANCE
Attendance Survey
According to (ABS, 2010a) Attendance at Selected Culture and Leisure Venues and Events, 2009-10 (cat. no. 4114.0), some 5.9 million people (34% of the population aged 15 years and over) visited a national, state or local library at least once in the 12 months before interview.
While the attendance rates for males and females at National and state libraries were similar, Local libraries were more likely to attract females (with an attendance rate of 39%) than males (25%).
10.1 ATTENDANCE AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES, By sex - 2009-10 |
|
 | Males | Females | Persons |
NUMBER ('000) |
|
| Local libraries | 2 129.8 | 3 494.0 | 5 623.8 |
| National and state libraries | 458.5 | 546.5 | 1 005.0 |
| Total who attended(a) | 2 246.9 | 3 610.4 | 5 857.3 |
ATTENDANCE RATE (%) |
|
| Local libraries | 24.7 | 39.4 | 32.2 |
| National and state libraries | 5.3 | 6.2 | 5.8 |
| Total who attended(a) | 26.1 | 40.8 | 33.5 |
|
| (a) Components do not add to the total as some persons attended both types of libraries. |
| Source: ABS data available on request, Survey of Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and Events, 2009-10. |
The attendance rate at National and state libraries was higher for people aged 18-24 years (7.3%) than any other age group. The next highest rate of attendance was 6.8% for people aged 15-17 years and 6.5% for people aged 55-64 years. For Local libraries, the survey results showed that the age group with the highest attendance rate was 15-17 years (38%), followed by 35-44 years (36%).
10.2 ATTENDANCE AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES, By age - 2009-10 |
|
| AGE GROUP (YEARS) |
| 15-17 | 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55-64 | 65-74 | 75 and over | Total |
NUMBER ('000) |
|
| Local libraries | 329.9 | 611.5 | 939.4 | 1 101.8 | 965.6 | 785.1 | 507.7 | 382.7 | 5 623.8 |
| National and state libraries | 58.8 | 158.9 | 175.0 | 160.0 | 164.0 | 163.1 | 75.6 | 49.6 | 1 005.0 |
| Total who attended(a) | 346.2 | 669.1 | 992.1 | 1 127.8 | 998.8 | 819.2 | 515.0 | 389.2 | 5 857.3 |
ATTENDANCE RATE (%) |
|
| Local libraries | 38.2 | 28.2 | 30.4 | 35.5 | 32.3 | 31.5 | 32.2 | 32.2 | 32.2 |
| National and state libraries | 6.8 | 7.3 | 5.7 | 5.2 | 5.5 | 6.5 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 5.8 |
| Total who attended(a) | 40.1 | 30.8 | 32.1 | 36.4 | 33.4 | 32.9 | 32.6 | 32.7 | 33.5 |
|
| (a) Components do not add to the total as some persons attended both types of libraries. |
| Source: ABS data available on request, Survey of Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and Events, 2009-10 |
Unlike several of the other cultural institutions, Public libraries regularly attract repeat visitors. Just 5% of those who visited a library did so on only one occasion. Almost one half (46%) of those who had visited public libraries had been more than 10 times during the 12 month reference period, and over one-quarter had visited (26%) more than 20 times.
Those in the older age groups were more likely to make multiple return visits. Around one-third (32%) of those aged 75 years and over who visited public libraries went 26 times or more during the 12 month period.
10.3 FREQUENCY OF ATTENDANCE AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES - 2009-10 |
|
| SEX | AGE GROUP (YEARS) |
| Number of visits in the last 12 months | Males | Females | 15-17 | 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55-64 | 65-74 | 75 and over | Total |
NUMBER ('000) |
|
| Once | 140.2 | 164.3 | *10.1 | 51.7 | 79.2 | 62.7 | 40.0 | 32.0 | 17.5 | *11.3 | 304.5 |
| Twice | 255.6 | 314.0 | 35.1 | 97.0 | 114.8 | 98.7 | 100.8 | 81.5 | 23.4 | *18.4 | 569.6 |
| Three times | 203.1 | 262.7 | *26.7 | 57.9 | 81.8 | 88.5 | 95.8 | 64.5 | 27.2 | *23.5 | 465.9 |
| Four times | 180.0 | 219.9 | *20.4 | *46.4 | 63.5 | 86.4 | 67.6 | 63.9 | 32.3 | *19.4 | 399.9 |
| Five times | 163.6 | 212.3 | *31.0 | 50.7 | 82.9 | 57.7 | 63.1 | *39.0 | 36.2 | *15.4 | 376.0 |
| 6-10 times | 356.0 | 682.3 | 66.0 | 88.3 | 184.8 | 237.3 | 178.2 | 153.6 | 79.1 | 51.0 | 1 038.3 |
| 11-15 times | 317.5 | 616.2 | 46.1 | 75.6 | 139.6 | 188.5 | 183.7 | 140.5 | 88.9 | 70.8 | 933.7 |
| 16-20 times | 98.5 | 176.4 | *25.0 | *19.4 | 47.8 | 51.8 | 44.7 | 36.3 | 31.3 | 18.8 | 275.0 |
| 21-25 times | 98.9 | 207.1 | *9.6 | *35.2 | 38.4 | 50.3 | 61.2 | 45.8 | 30.1 | 35.3 | 306.0 |
| 26 times or more | 433.4 | 755.1 | 76.2 | 146.9 | 159.4 | 205.9 | 163.8 | 162.0 | 149.0 | 125.3 | 1 188.5 |
| Total | 2 246.9 | 3 610.4 | 346.2 | 669.1 | 992.1 | 1 127.8 | 998.8 | 819.2 | 515.0 | 389.2 | 5 857.3 |
PERCENT (%) |
|
| Once | 6.2 | 4.6 | *2.9 | 7.7 | 8.0 | 5.6 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 3.4 | *2.9 | 5.2 |
| Twice | 11.4 | 8.7 | 10.1 | 14.5 | 11.6 | 8.7 | 10.1 | 10.0 | 4.5 | *4.7 | 9.7 |
| Three times | 9.0 | 7.3 | *7.7 | 8.7 | 8.2 | 7.8 | 9.6 | 7.9 | 5.3 | *6.0 | 8.0 |
| Four times | 8.0 | 6.1 | *5.9 | *6.9 | 6.4 | 7.7 | 6.8 | 7.8 | 6.3 | *5.0 | 6.8 |
| Five times | 7.3 | 5.9 | *9.0 | 7.6 | 8.4 | 5.1 | 6.3 | 4.8 | 7.0 | *4.0 | 6.4 |
| 6-10 times | 15.8 | 18.9 | 19.1 | 13.2 | 18.6 | 21.0 | 17.8 | 18.8 | 15.4 | 13.1 | 17.7 |
| 11-15 times | 14.1 | 17.1 | 13.3 | 11.3 | 14.1 | 16.7 | 18.4 | 17.1 | 17.3 | 18.2 | 15.9 |
| 16-20 times | 4.4 | 4.9 | *7.2 | *2.9 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 6.1 | 4.8 | 4.7 |
| 21-25 times | 4.4 | 5.7 | *2.8 | *5.3 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 6.1 | 5.6 | 5.8 | 9.1 | 5.2 |
| 26 times or more | 19.3 | 20.9 | 22.0 | 22.0 | 16.1 | 18.3 | 16.4 | 19.8 | 28.9 | 32.2 | 20.3 |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
|
| * estimate is subject to sampling variability too high for most practical purposes |
| Source: ABS data available on request, Survey of Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and Events, 2009-10. |
The 2009-10 survey of Attendance at Selected Culture and Leisure Venues and Events (ABS 2010a) was the first to include questions about attendance at Archives. Over 600,000 people (4% of the population aged 15 years and over) visited an Archive at least once in the 12 months before interview. The attendance rate at Archives was highest for people living in ACT (16%).
Public Libraries Survey
According to the ABS (2005c) publication
Public Libraries, Australia, 2003-04 (cat. no. 8561.0) there were 104.7 million visits to libraries, the vast majority (95%) of which were to local government libraries.
The institutions covered by this survey comprise local government libraries, national and state libraries and archival service organisations in Australia. Libraries with restricted access, such as those operated by educational institutions (universities and schools), and libraries operated by businesses and organisations for internal reference purposes, were excluded from the collection.
The survey also found that national and state archives attracted 137,400 visits to their search rooms and recorded a total of 245,100 archival enquiries during 2003-04.
10.4 NATIONAL AND STATE ARCHIVES(a), Visits and enquiries - 1999-2000 and 2003-04 |
|
| 1999-2000 | 2003-04 |
| '000 | '000 |
|
| Visits to search rooms | 94.2 | 137.4 |
| Recorded archival enquiries(b) | 218.4 | 245.1 |
|
| (a) Excludes national and state library archives. |
| (b) Figures for archival enquiries are approximations only. State libraries do not keep separate counts of archival and general enquiries. |
| Source: Public Libraries, Australia, 2003-04 (cat. no. 8561.0). |
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