Library facts

Text reads, Libraries are important. That's a fact.

You might’ve seen some of our statistics showing up across Regina. Want to know more? Check out the information below.

Text reads, more than 50% of Reginans are active library users.

We define active library users as people who have used the library – either in person or online – within the last  three years.

In fact, we believe this number is even larger because there are lots of cards used by more than one person in  a family.

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And also: 

  • 14,370 new library cards issued;
  • 1.6 million books and materials borrowed;
  • 560,000 eBooks, eAudiobooks, and streaming movies, TV and music borrowed; and
  • 5,396 library programs with 111,593 participants.

Looking for more information about our business? Visit our annual reporting page and read our latest Annual Report.

 Text reads, in 2023, there were 1.3 million visits to Regina's public libraries.
Text reads, every dollar invested in Regina Public Library brings a 200% return on investment. 

According to third-party calculations, if you add up all the services we provide to the city, the economic benefit is estimated to be $70 million. As a result, RPL generates $2.98 in economic value for each dollar invested in it – the equivalent of $309 of value for each Regina resident.  
This return on investment is similar to other Canadian library systems. It demonstrates that shared investment in library programs, activities, and services creates significant collective benefit for the dollars spent. 

What’s more, the average value of one open hour at a library branch equates to $1,410.  

Visit one of our branches!

 

That’s the equivalent of approximately $1,800 more in the pockets of each Canadian every year. You can learn more about the value of libraries in Canada from Overdue: The Case for Canada’s Public Libraries authored by the Canadian Urban Institute.   Text reads, a 1% increase in adult literacy could benefit Canada’s economy by $67B.
Text reads, people who come to the library for career coaching get jobs. Last year, their combined salaries totaled $1.4M.

In 2023, RPL leveraged the expertise of 11 highly skilled volunteers to offer one-on-one career coaching sessions. Of the 27 individuals who secured jobs after participating, 26 got full-time professional positions with an estimated average annual salary of $54,511.71 per person. The combined amount of all 26 salaries was $1,432,304.53.

RPL's career coaching program has created substantial positive impacts on job seekers, empowering individuals to decrease their reliance on social support and improve their overall quality of life. Additionally, RPL organized a highly impactful non-profit career fair with the participation of 25 non-profit organizations and an attendance of over 250 people.

Explore career coaching, and other business supports.

 

This was a key finding in the Kids and Family Reading Report Canadian Edition that the Scholastic company undertook in 2017 to explore the attitudes and behaviours of Canadian children and families around reading books for fun. Other key findings: 

  • Children, particularly those who are frequent readers, gain inspiration (76%) and a sense of accomplishment (90%) from reading. 
  • Parents’ reading habits play a large role in determining how often kids read: 57% of kids who are frequent readers have parents who read books 5–7 days per week, compared to only 15% of kids who are infrequent readers. 
  • Ninety-four percent of children agree that their favourite books are the ones they picked out themselves, and almost all children (92%) agree that they are more likely to finish a book they picked out.
  • Ninety-seven percent of parents agree that every school should have a library.

Discover resources for kids

 Text reads, 84% of kids ages 6 to 17 agree that summer reading helps them with school.
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