Has the Nook killed the public library?

There are always rumors that no one is going to libraries any more -- especially when you see more and more people downloading their reading to electronic devices like the iPad and the Nook. But has technology made checking out books obsolete?

As a writer and someone who still likes to read a novel the old fashion way -- by turning the pages, I was happy to learn this is not the case. In fact, there are a lot more people visiting libraries on a daily basis than I thought there were. Whoo hoo!!
I wasn't the only one wondering because this past October, the Yolo County Library joined libraries across the state n the California Library Association’s first “Snapshot: One Day in the Life of California Libraries” to highlight the importance of libraries to California. All participating libraries collected usage data, photos and patron testimonials on a given day to help the association capture data to create a compelling picture of library services in California.

“The results of this event provided valuable statistics for furthering library services in California,” said Yolo County Board of Supervisors Chair Matt Rexroad.

As participants in the Snapshot Day program, all seven Yolo County branch libraries collected and compiled customer comments, photographs and other data to chronicle a typical library day. Here are their results:

• 4,555 people visiting the library
•  The library’s website (www.yolocountylibrary.org) was accessed 796 times
• 6,353 items were checkout or renewed
• 359 reference questions were answered
• 509 people used a library computer
• 244 people attended 13 public programs
• 47 people received tutoring and training

Amazing...I thought they would get a couple hundred visitors, but never imagined 4,500.

I guess I'm not the only one who likes to "hold" a good book.