Library · Paris
W. G. Rhea Public Library
Paris’s library is the W. G. Rhea Public Library, a branch of W. G. Rhea Public Library, open about 55 hours a week.
IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024County system. Paris’s branch belongs to W. G. Rhea Public Library, which serves 32,554 people. The yearly numbers below are for the whole system, not just this branch. A card works at every branch.
Your branch
W. G. Rhea Public Library
400 West Washington Street, Paris 38242
55 hrsopen a week
11,814sq ft
Charges late finesLate fees on some overdue items
E-books & audiobooksBorrow from home with your card
Research databasesOnline courses, journals, genealogy and more
Fiscal year 2024
A year at W. G. Rhea Public Library
49K
visits
1.5 per resident
73K
loans, print + digital
2.2 per resident
242
programs & events
9,167 attended
20K
library cards
62% 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
1.5 visits · typical 2.6
Lower than most similar-size libraries (22th percentile)
Borrowing per resident
1.2 print items · typical 3.7
Lower than most similar-size libraries (15th percentile)
Digital borrowing
1.0 e-items · typical 1.2
A little below typical (45th percentile)
Kids’ borrowing
0.4 kids’ items · typical 1.7
Lower than most similar-size libraries (12th percentile)
Program attendance
0.3 attendees · typical 0.3
A little below typical (42th percentile)
Cardholders
62% of residents
Higher than 81% of similar-size libraries
Borrowing & programs
What people use it for
What people borrow
73K loans last year
Books & media (adults)35%Kids’ books & media18%E-books, audio & streaming47%
Who the programs are for
242 story times, classes, clubs and events
Money
Who pays for it
$14 per resident a year
Typical for a library this size: $40. Operating budget $447K.
Local 92%Federal 0%Gifts & other 7%
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.