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ALAlabama rankings

Towns that borrow the most from their library in Alabama

Ranked by books, movies, e-books and other items the town’s public library lent in a year, per resident. 71 towns with 2,500+ residents.

IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024

Mountain Brook 1 Mountain Brook 19.9 per resident Mountain Brook - Emmet O`neal Library Sylacauga 2 Sylacauga 19.6 per resident Sylacauga - B. B. Comer Memorial Library Map of Homewood 3 Homewood 19.4 per resident Homewood Public Library
#TownLoans per residentLibraryLoans a year
1 Mountain Brook Mountain Brook22,029 people 19.9 per resident Mountain Brook - Emmet O`neal Library 435,809
2 Sylacauga Sylacauga12,309 people 19.6 per resident Sylacauga - B. B. Comer Memorial Library 240,058
3 Map of Homewood Homewood27,829 people 19.4 per resident Homewood Public Library 540,403
4 Orange Beach Orange Beach8,407 people 18.8 per resident Orange Beach Public Library 158,932
5 Childersburg Childersburg4,655 people 17.2 per resident Childersburg - Earle A. Rainwater Memorial Library 80,241
6 Hoover Hoover92,642 people 14.9 per resident Hoover Public Library 1,381,220
7 Robertsdale Robertsdale7,194 people 14.8 per resident Robertsdale Public Library 106,653
8 Map of Foley Foley24,026 people 13.6 per resident Foley Public Library 320,033
9 Map of Warrior Warrior3,207 people 12.9 per resident Warrior Public Library 41,035
10 Boaz Boaz10,814 people 12.2 per resident Boaz Public Library 126,044
11 Vestavia Hills Vestavia Hills38,616 people 12.1 per resident Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest 464,097
12 Trussville Trussville26,673 people 11.7 per resident Trussville Public Library 311,326
13 Wetumpka Wetumpka7,437 people 9.1 per resident Wetumpka Public Library 66,509
14 Bay Minette Bay Minette8,295 people 8.9 per resident Bay Minette Public Library 73,649
15 Columbiana Columbiana4,725 people 8.8 per resident Columbiana Public Library 41,598
16 Opelika Opelika32,820 people 8.7 per resident Opelika Public Library 286,822
17 Map of Fairhope Fairhope24,190 people 8.6 per resident Fairhope Public Library 206,332
18 Auburn Auburn80,594 people 8.3 per resident Auburn Public Library 664,907
19 Map of Pelham Pelham24,827 people 8.3 per resident Pelham Public Library 205,968
20 Gardendale Gardendale16,534 people 8.1 per resident Gardendale - Martha Moore Public Library 131,280
21 Pinson Pinson7,832 people 8.1 per resident Pinson Public Library 57,445
22 Map of Rainbow City Rainbow City10,284 people 8.0 per resident Rainbow City Public Library 81,710
23 Daphne Daphne29,453 people 7.4 per resident Daphne Public Library 220,894
24 Map of Spanish Fort Spanish Fort10,662 people 7.4 per resident Spanish Fort Public Library 78,825
25 Map of Heflin Heflin3,467 people 7.4 per resident Heflin - Lucile L. Morgan Public Library 25,408
26 Rainsville Rainsville5,702 people 6.7 per resident Rainsville Public Library 38,006
27 Alabaster Alabaster33,917 people 6.5 per resident Alabaster - Albert L. Scott Library 219,442
28 Map of Hueytown Hueytown16,414 people 6.3 per resident Hueytown Public Library 103,522
29 Talladega Talladega14,760 people 6.1 per resident Talladega - Armstrong-Osborne Public Library 89,795
30 Map of Leeds Leeds12,028 people 6.1 per resident Leeds - Jane Culbreth Library 75,904
31 Arab Arab8,679 people 6.0 per resident Arab Public Library 51,330
32 Brewton5,186 people 6.0 per resident Brewton Public Library 31,289
33 Irondale Irondale13,464 people 5.8 per resident Irondale Public Library 77,663
34 Guntersville Guntersville8,916 people 5.3 per resident Guntersville Public Library 46,718
35 Atmore Atmore8,334 people 5.3 per resident Atmore Public 43,939
36 Montevallo Montevallo7,556 people 5.1 per resident Montevallo - Parnell Memorial Library 38,870
37 Gulf Shores Gulf Shores16,401 people 4.2 per resident Gulf Shores - Thomas B. Norton Public Library 68,793
38 Roanoke Roanoke5,336 people 4.2 per resident Roanoke - Annie L. Awbrey Public Library 22,431
39 Oxford Oxford22,063 people 4.0 per resident Oxford Public Library 88,225
40 Tallassee Tallassee5,134 people 3.7 per resident Tallassee Community Public Library 17,848
41 Helena Helena21,769 people 3.4 per resident Helena - Jane B. Holmes Public Library 75,339
42 Loxley Loxley4,357 people 3.4 per resident Loxley Public Library 15,174
43 Map of Winfield Winfield4,999 people 3.3 per resident Winfield Public Library 15,978
44 Birmingham Birmingham198,173 people 3.2 per resident Birmingham Public Library 624,394
45 Tarrant Tarrant5,925 people 3.2 per resident Tarrant Public Library 18,807
46 Jasper Jasper14,442 people 3.1 per resident Jasper Public Library 45,008
47 Map of Lincoln Lincoln7,305 people 3.1 per resident Lincoln Public Library 22,281
48 Piedmont Piedmont4,740 people 2.7 per resident Piedmont Public Library 12,605
49 Map of Haleyville Haleyville4,271 people 2.7 per resident Haleyville Public Library 11,860
50 Map of Citronelle Citronelle3,913 people 2.7 per resident Citronelle Memorial Library 10,359
51 Southside Southside9,483 people 2.3 per resident Southside Public Library 21,593
52 Lineville Lineville2,546 people 2.3 per resident Lineville Public Library 5,667
53 Map of Pleasant Grove Pleasant Grove9,442 people 2.2 per resident Pleasant Grove Public Library 21,227
54 Map of Satsuma Satsuma6,822 people 2.2 per resident Satsuma Public Library 15,294
55 Bessemer Bessemer25,400 people 2.0 per resident Bessemer Public Library 51,123
56 Map of Hokes Bluff Hokes Bluff4,547 people 2.0 per resident Hokes Bluff Public Library 8,939
57 Calera Calera17,714 people 1.9 per resident Calera Public Library 34,210
58 Millbrook Millbrook17,189 people 1.9 per resident Millbrook Public Library 31,728
59 Alexander City Alexander City14,606 people 1.9 per resident Alexander City - Adelia Mcconnell Russell Library 27,783
60 Adamsville Adamsville4,266 people 1.7 per resident Adamsville Public Library 6,988
61 Map of Fultondale Fultondale9,384 people 1.5 per resident Fultondale Public Library 14,422
62 Map of Hamilton Hamilton6,922 people 1.5 per resident Hamilton - Clyde Nix Public Library 10,088
63 Henagar Henagar2,501 people 1.4 per resident R.L. Hadden Memorial Library 3,115
64 Red Bay Red Bay3,201 people 1.3 per resident Red Bay - Weatherford Public Library 4,119
65 Center Point Center Point15,914 people 0.9 per resident Center Point Public Library 14,237
66 Albertville Albertville22,813 people 0.8 per resident Albertville Public Library 17,982
67 Map of Chickasaw Chickasaw6,332 people 0.6 per resident Chickasaw - Ina Pullen Smallwood Memorial Library 3,730
68 Attalla Attalla5,775 people 0.4 per resident Attalla - Etowah County Public Library 2,589
69 Glencoe Glencoe5,353 people 0.4 per resident Glencoe Public Library 2,240
70 Fairfield9,728 people 0.2 per resident Fairfield - Walter J. Hanna Memorial Library 2,134
71 Prichard18,961 people 0.0 per resident Prichard Public Library 730

How this ranking works

We rank every town by books, movies, e-books and other items the town’s public library lent in a year, per resident. The highest figure ranks #1. Each library reports its own yearly numbers to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (fiscal year 2024), and each town’s Library page shows how it compares with libraries of a similar size nationwide.

A town is ranked only when its library system serves that town alone, and the library’s own count of the people it serves is within 20% of the town’s population. Towns served by a county or regional system, or sharing a library with a neighbor, can’t be credited with the numbers, so they aren’t ranked. Libraries that didn’t respond to the survey aren’t ranked either. Vacation towns can rank high because summer residents and visitors use the library too.

Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Libraries: IMLS Public Libraries Survey. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

Same ranking in other states

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