Library · Mechanicsburg
Joseph T Simpson Public Library
Mechanicsburg’s library is the Joseph T Simpson Public Library, a branch of Joseph T. Simpson Public Library, open about 58 hours a week.
IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024Regional system. Mechanicsburg’s branch belongs to Joseph T. Simpson Public Library, which serves 59,915 people. The yearly numbers below are for the whole system, not just this branch. A card works at every branch.
Your branch
Joseph T Simpson Public Library
16 N Walnut St., Mechanicsburg 17055
58 hrsopen a week
16,800sq 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 Joseph T. Simpson Public Library
157K
visits
2.6 per resident
584K
loans, print + digital
9.7 per resident
2,825
programs & events
49K attended
25K
library cards
41% 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
2.6 visits · typical 2.6
Higher than 50% of similar-size libraries
Borrowing per resident
8.5 print items · typical 3.7
Higher than 85% of similar-size libraries
Digital borrowing
1.2 e-items · typical 1.2
Higher than 52% of similar-size libraries
Kids’ borrowing
4.1 kids’ items · typical 1.7
Higher than 85% of similar-size libraries
Program attendance
0.8 attendees · typical 0.3
Top 10% of similar-size libraries
Cardholders
41% of residents
Higher than 54% of similar-size libraries
Borrowing & programs
What people use it for
What people borrow
584K loans last year
Books & media (adults)45%Kids’ books & media43%E-books, audio & streaming13%
Who the programs are for
2,825 story times, classes, clubs and events
Money
Who pays for it
$19 per resident a year
Typical for a library this size: $40. Operating budget $1.1M.
Local 59%State 15%Federal 0%Gifts & other 26%
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.