4172.0 - Arts and Culture in Australia: A Statistical Overview, 2004 (Reissue)  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 06/09/2006  Reissue
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ATTENDANCE

Attendance Survey

According to the Survey of Attendance at Selected Culture and Leisure Venues and Events, some 6.1 million people (42% of the population aged 18 years and over) visited a national, state or local library in the 12 months before interview in 2002.


While the attendance rates for males and females at state and national libraries were similar (both approximately 8%), local libraries were more likely to attract females (with an attendance rate of 48%) than males (32%).

10.1 ATTENDANCE AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES, By Sex - 2002
Males
Females
Persons
NUMBER ('000)
Local libraries
2 305.6
3 510.1
5 815.8
National and state libraries
547.0
600.4
1 147.5
Total who attended(a)
2 477.4
3 632.8
6 110.2
ATTENDANCE RATE (%)
Local libraries
32.1
47.9
40.1
National and state libraries
7.6
8.2
7.9
Total who attended(a)
34.5
49.6
42.1
(a) Components do not add to the total as some persons attended both types of libraries.
ABS, Survey of Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and Events, 2002, data available on request.


The attendance rate at national and state libraries was highest for people aged 18-24 years (15%), with the next highest rate being 9% for 25-34 year olds. For local libraries, the highest attendance rate was for the age group 35-44 years (46%), followed by the 18-24 years age group (43%).

10.2 ATTENDANCE AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES, By Age - 2002
AGE GROUP (YEARS)
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65 and over
Total
NUMBER ('000)
Local libraries
822.1
1 138.3
1 342.6
1 067.2
665.3
780.2
5 815.8
National and state libraries
278.3
255.5
216.4
181.9
117.4
98.0
1 147.5
Total who attended(a)
899.3
1 221.8
1 389.9
1 107.8
694.5
797.1
6 110.2
ATTENDANCE RATE (%)
Local libraries
43.2
39.2
45.8
40.4
35.3
35.0
40.1
National and state libraries
14.6
8.8
7.4
6.9
6.2
4.4
7.9
Total who attended(a)
47.2
42.0
47.4
41.9
36.9
35.7
42.1
(a) Components do not add to the total as some persons attended both types of libraries.
ABS, Survey of Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and Events, 2002, data available on request.


Unlike several of the other cultural institutions, public libraries regularly attract repeat visitors. Only 7% of those who visited a library did so on one occasion. About two-fifths (40%) of those who had visited public libraries had been more than 10 times during a 12-month reference period, with over half of those going more than 20 times.


Those in the older age groups were more likely to make multiple return visits. Almost one-third of those aged 65 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 - 2002
NUMBER OF VISITS IN LAST 12 MONTHS
Once
Twice
3 times
4 times
5 times
6-10 times
11-15 times
16-20 times
21-25 times
26 times or more
Total
NUMBER ('000)
Sex
Males
189.6
302.5
265.5
210.5
192.4
377.2
267.6
158.6
111.2
402.3
2 477.4
Females
204.8
320.4
308.6
259.2
311.0
696.0
405.6
251.4
162.8
713.1
3 632.8
Age group (years)
18-24
64.9
103.5
121.0
80.2
99.9
136.6
49.0
62.0
19.2
162.9
899.3
25-34
110.7
141.0
130.0
107.8
117.9
221.7
107.1
96.9
34.0
154.7
1 221.8
35-44
94.0
152.2
130.4
100.5
115.6
239.1
163.2
98.0
64.1
232.7
1 389.9
45-54
65.3
108.8
87.0
70.8
86.4
252.9
138.8
58.6
60.6
178.6
1 107.8
55-64
37.2
59.7
52.8
56.4
55.0
125.4
92.0
45.5
35.8
134.7
694.5
65 & over
22.3
57.7
52.9
53.9
28.6
97.5
123.1
49.0
60.2
251.8
797.1
Total
394.5
622.9
574.1
469.6
503.4
1 073.2
673.2
410.0
274.0
1 115.4
6 110.2
PER CENT (%)
Sex
Males
7.7
12.2
10.7
8.5
7.8
15.2
10.8
6.4
4.5
16.2
100.0
Females
5.6
8.8
8.5
7.1
8.6
19.2
11.2
6.9
4.5
19.6
100.0
Age group (years)
18-24
7.2
11.5
13.5
8.9
11.1
15.2
5.4
6.9
2.1
18.1
100.0
25-34
9.1
11.5
10.6
8.8
9.7
18.1
8.8
7.9
2.8
12.7
100.0
35-44
6.8
11.0
9.4
7.2
8.3
17.2
11.7
7.1
4.6
16.7
100.0
45-54
5.9
9.8
7.9
6.4
7.8
22.8
12.5
5.3
5.5
16.1
100.0
55-64
5.4
8.6
7.6
8.1
7.9
18.1
13.2
6.6
5.2
19.4
100.0
65 & over
2.8
7.2
6.6
6.8
3.6
12.2
15.4
6.1
7.6
31.6
100.0
Total
6.5
10.2
9.4
7.7
8.2
17.6
11.0
6.7
4.5
18.3
100.0
ABS, Survey of Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and Events, 2002, data available on request.


Census of Public Libraries

While the Attendance Survey cannot give a figure for the total number of visits to public libraries, this figure can be obtained from a census of these institutions conducted by the ABS which found that in 1999-2000 there were 99.4 million visits, the vast majority (94%) of which were to local libraries.


The institutions covered by the 1999-2000 Census of Public Libraries 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 Census of Public Libraries also reported that national and state archives attracted 94,200 visits to their search rooms and recorded a total of 218,400 archival enquiries during 1999-2000. National and state libraries, which undertook archival services as a secondary activity, recorded 342,700 visits to archival search rooms and 56,700 archival enquiries during this period.

10.4 NATIONAL AND STATE ARCHIVES(a), Visits and enquiries - 1996-97 and 1999-2000
1996-97
1999-2000
'000
'000
Visits to search rooms
93.1
94.2
Recorded archival enquiries(b)
211.5
218.4
(a) Excludes national and state library archives.
(b) In addition, in 1999-2000, there were 39,300 recorded archival enquiries at the eight national and state libraries.
ABS, Public Libraries, Australia, 1999-2000 (cat. no. 8561.0).





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