Library · Petal
Petal Public Library
Petal’s library is the Petal Public Library, a branch of The Library of Hattiesburg, Petal & Forrest C, open about 38 hours a week.
IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024County system. Petal’s branch belongs to The Library of Hattiesburg, Petal & Forrest C, which serves 78,208 people. The yearly numbers below are for the whole system, not just this branch. A card works at every branch.
Your branch
Petal Public Library
714 South Main Street, Petal 39465
38 hrsopen a week
7,000sq ft
Charges late finesLate fees on some overdue items
E-books & audiobooksBorrow from home with your card
Auto-renews loansBooks renew on their own if no one’s waiting
Research databasesOnline courses, journals, genealogy and more
Fiscal year 2024
A year at The Library of Hattiesburg, Petal & Forrest C
108K
visits
1.4 per resident
348K
loans, print + digital
4.4 per resident
304
programs & events
10K attended
28K
library cards
36% of people served
How it compares
Against libraries serving 25,000 to 100,000 people
Per-resident numbers, compared only with libraries of a similar size across the country, because a tiny town’s library always looks busier per person.
Visits per resident
1.4 visits · typical 2.6
Lower than most similar-size libraries (20th percentile)
Borrowing per resident
3.1 print items · typical 3.7
A little below typical (42th percentile)
Digital borrowing
1.4 e-items · typical 1.2
Higher than 55% of similar-size libraries
Kids’ borrowing
1.2 kids’ items · typical 1.7
A little below typical (37th percentile)
Program attendance
0.1 attendees · typical 0.3
Lower than most similar-size libraries (16th percentile)
Cardholders
36% of residents
A little below typical (43th percentile)
Borrowing & programs
What people use it for
What people borrow
348K loans last year
Books & media (adults)42%Kids’ books & media27%E-books, audio & streaming31%
Who the programs are for
304 story times, classes, clubs and events
Money
Who pays for it
$30 per resident a year
Typical for a library this size: $40. Operating budget $2.3M.
Local 87%State 8%Federal 0%Gifts & other 5%
About these numbers
How to read this page
Hours are an averageThe survey reports a building’s public hours for the whole year. We divide by the weeks it was open, so check the library’s own site for today’s hours.
Compared by size“Similar-size” means libraries serving about as many people, nationwide. Per-resident numbers always flatter the smallest towns, so they’re never compared with big cities.
One year, the library’s own countLibraries report their own visits, loans and programs for fiscal year 2024. A library that didn’t respond keeps its address and hours here, with no numbers.
Source: Institute of Museum and Library Services, Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024. Distances are straight-line from the town center.