Library · Covington
Alleghany Highlands Regional Library
Covington’s library is the Alleghany Highlands Regional Library, a branch of Alleghany Highlands Regional Library, open about 48 hours a week.
IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024Multi-county system. Covington’s branch belongs to Alleghany Highlands Regional Library, which serves 20,880 people. The yearly numbers below are for the whole system, not just this branch. A card works at every branch.
Your branch
Alleghany Highlands Regional Library
406 W. Riverside Street, Covington 24426
48 hrsopen a week
15,000sq 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 Alleghany Highlands Regional Library
26K
visits
1.2 per resident
36K
loans, print + digital
1.7 per resident
140
programs & events
4,129 attended
2,591
library cards
12% of people served
How it compares
Against libraries serving 10,000 to 25,000 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
1.2 visits · typical 3.1
Lower than most similar-size libraries (15th percentile)
Borrowing per resident
1.3 print items · typical 3.9
Lower than most similar-size libraries (14th percentile)
Digital borrowing
0.4 e-items · typical 1.1
Lower than most similar-size libraries (22th percentile)
Kids’ borrowing
0.3 kids’ items · typical 1.8
Lower than most similar-size libraries (10th percentile)
Program attendance
0.2 attendees · typical 0.4
Lower than most similar-size libraries (20th percentile)
Cardholders
12% of residents
Lower than most similar-size libraries (5th percentile)
Borrowing & programs
What people use it for
What people borrow
36K loans last year
Books & media (adults)55%Kids’ books & media20%E-books, audio & streaming26%
Who the programs are for
140 story times, classes, clubs and events
Money
Who pays for it
$20 per resident a year
Typical for a library this size: $43. Operating budget $411K.
Local 70%State 24%Gifts & other 6%
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.