Library · Altoona
Altoona Area Public Library
Altoona’s library is the Altoona Area Public Library, a branch of Altoona Area Public Library, open about 55 hours a week.
IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024School-district system. Altoona’s branch belongs to Altoona Area Public Library, which serves 57,314 people. The yearly numbers below are for the whole system, not just this branch. A card works at every branch.
Your branch
Altoona Area Public Library
1600 Fifth Avenue, Altoona 16602
55 hrsopen a week
33,637sq ft
Fine-freeNo late fees on books returned late
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 Altoona Area Public Library
100K
visits
1.7 per resident
134K
loans, print + digital
2.3 per resident
1,699
programs & events
25K attended
17K
library cards
29% 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
1.7 visits · typical 2.6
A little below typical (29th percentile)
Borrowing per resident
1.9 print items · typical 3.7
A little below typical (26th percentile)
Digital borrowing
0.4 e-items · typical 1.2
Lower than most similar-size libraries (20th percentile)
Kids’ borrowing
0.8 kids’ items · typical 1.7
A little below typical (25th percentile)
Program attendance
0.4 attendees · typical 0.3
Higher than 65% of similar-size libraries
Cardholders
29% of residents
A little below typical (27th percentile)
Borrowing & programs
What people use it for
What people borrow
134K loans last year
Books & media (adults)48%Kids’ books & media33%E-books, audio & streaming19%
Who the programs are for
1,699 story times, classes, clubs and events
Money
Who pays for it
$20 per resident a year
Typical for a library this size: $40. Operating budget $1.1M.
Local 32%State 44%Federal 6%Gifts & other 18%
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.