Statistics 2022

The data below is taken from the integrated library system software used by all public libraries in Saskatchewan.  These numbers highlight the growing patron base and widespread use of the public library system in Saskatchewan, the continued growth of both physical and electronic collections, and a degree of cooperation between public library systems that remains unprecedented in Canada. 

Please note that not all statistics are comparable across all years due to changes in software systems in 2009-10, 2013 and 2015.  Differences in each system’s data gathering and reporting methods will have affected overall numbers.  The current system provides accurate and specific data which the consortium has been using to inform decision making since September 2015.

Usage in 2020 and to a lesser extent 2021 was greatly affected by the Covid19 pandemic. Library branches closed in late March 2020 and began re-opening and offering varying levels of service later in the year. The closures resulted in a large reduction in use of physical collections, while use of digital services increased substantially. 

Highlights

Circulation of Physical Materials
6,102,749
Holds Placed
1,909,428
Holds Filled Through SILS
825,409
Unique Borrowers of Physical MaterialsIndividual Customers
131,548
Physical Titles
1,025,720
Physical Items
3,637,393
E-Titles
216,881

Cardholders

The chart below indicates the total number of Saskatchewan residents with library cards and the number of active patrons who have used their public library card at least once in the past two years. The data for active patrons is based on customers whose records show one of the following activities: check out, renewal, check-in, billing, payment, placing a hold, a new registration, or a login authentication to access an electronic resource.

Context: Prior to SILS forming in 2010, each library system used their own separate software, so many Saskatchewan residents had multiple library cards as a result.  The launch of SILS meant that a library card could be used at any public library in the province (‘One Province, One Library Card'!). Because residents are no longer required to carry library cards for multiple library systems, the total number of cardholders in recent years more accurately reflects the number of residents registered at a public library in Saskatchewan.
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​Other factors that may have affected registered borrower counts include changes to the definition of a registered borrower, concerted attempts to remove duplicate borrowers from the database, and a change in policy in 2013 which made library cards transferable.  This policy change may have resulted in libraries issuing fewer cards as families are now able to share a single card.  All factors have remained consistent since September 2015, at which point the library system software changed and more accurate counts became available.

Data available: 2009-present; historical data available from government publications: 2009; 2010-2014

Total Active
Dec. 31, 2022 394,430 276,346
Dec. 31, 2021 398,903 266,560
Dec. 31, 2020 383,350 244,991
Dec. 31, 2019 362,433 267,581
Dec. 31, 2018 345,880 262,202
Dec. 31, 2017 340,806 258,708
Dec. 31, 2016 336,261 254,199
Dec. 31, 2015 335,143 246,114

Interagency Holds

The chart below provides the number of physical items that were shipped among SILS agencies to fill hold requests.  Interlibrary loan (ILL) items, which are borrowed from outside the SILS system, are excluded.

2022 Loaned to another library Borrowed from another library
Chinook Regional Library 46964 50679
Lakeland Library Region 82527 46520
Pahkisimon Nuyeʔáh Library System 41192 3846
Palliser Regional Library 82672 39405
Parkland Library Region 49194 68507
Prince Albert Public Library 48556 15464
Provincial Library 6379 208
Regina Public Library 132157 147891
Saskatoon Public Library 132336 203779
Southeast Regional Library 73932 88450
Wapiti Regional Library 58610 65709
Wheatland Regional Library 70890 94951
Total 825409 825409

Reciprocal Borrowing

The chart below shows the number of patrons from each agency who used their library cards in person at a library branch outside the library system that issued their card.

2022 Unique Borrowers Items Checked Out Holds Picked Up
Chinook Regional Library 212 2802 2802
Lakeland Library Region 289 5480 1762
Pahkisimon Nuyeʔáh Library System 70 643 25
Palliser Regional Library 410 8916 2399
Parkland Library Region 618 12057 2165
Prince Albert Public Library 157 1756 298
Provincial Library 6 27 39
Regina Public Library 790 7963 1855
Saskatoon Public Library 1087 14172 4112
Southeast Regional Library 1570 44448 8302
Wapiti Regional Library 1094 36701 7437
Wheatland Regional Library 2522 72456 17367
Total 8745 207421 46368

Circulation - eBooks and eAudiobooks

The chart below provides the number of eBooks and eAudiobooks from the Library2Go collection that were used by Saskatchewan residents in the last full year.

Context: While the pandemic had a negative impact on access to physical collections, it resulted in an increase in use of OverDrive/library2go and other electronic resources.

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Chinook Regional Library 35,083 36,133 36,058 38,011 40,075 46,885 70,140 82,985 89,469
Lakeland Library Region 48,975 51,584 49,800 48,763 31,883 38,026 79,339 91,567 109,979
Pahkisimon Nuyeʔáh Library System 1792 1804 2200 2575 3139 3647 5018 6,466 6,897
Palliser Regional Library 345,880 262,202 42,604 41,800 42,648 45,944 67,595 74,528 80,220
Parkland Library Region 32,434 34,734 35,509 35,189 35,066 42,036 61,721 70,787 75,962
Prince Albert Public Library N/A N/A N/A N/A 13,111 14,672 21,982 25,896 29,487
Regina Public Library 122,689 126,420 122,295 118,998 122,228 159,358 320,597 398,408 435,890
Saskatoon Public Library 161,508 167,816 173,138 175,516 180,513 221,817 391,059 524,379 580,202
Southeast Regional Library 52,135 56,397 57,720 62,316 65,483 74,679 108,110 129,676 141,349
Wapiti Regional Library 56,546 57,925 59,709 59,084 45,993 51,792 75,182 85,844 96,511
Wheatland Regional Library 77,893 87,513 89,936 96,261 98,336 108,919 151,597 178,478 194,209
Total 634,655 664,668 668,998 678,531 678,480 807,802 1,352,293 1,664,680 1,840,205

Circulation - Physical Materials

The chart below provides total annual circulation of physical materials (electronic materials are not included) by library system for the last full year.  Included are the number of unique borrowers, total circulation (checkouts and renewals combined), and total holds placed.

2022 Unique Borrowers Total Circulation Total Holds Placed
Chinook Regional Library 4963 235787 89293
Lakeland Library Region 8048 332631 93779
Pahkisimon Nuyeʔáh Library System 3702 58968 6563
Palliser Regional Library 6930 322358 82002
Parkland Library Region 6060 269554 116703
Prince Albert Public Library 3051 131074 21275
Provincial Library 22 360 285
Regina Public Library 33819 1543434 368562
Saskatoon Public Library 41476 1900675 593130
Southeast Regional Library 10607 444337 189349
Wapiti Regional Library 7754 368006 121791
Wheatland Regional Library 9909 495565 226696
Total 131548 6102749 1909428

Collection Size by Physical Item

The chart below provides the number of physical items in SILS that are available for patrons to use, broken down by material type.  Electronic items, such as ebooks and e-audiobooks, are not included.

All Items Books Video Sound Recording Spoken Word Serials Other
2022 3,637,393 3,096,465 250,615 54,430 50,988 72,352 105,722
2021 3,642,940 3,101,325 242,395 56,589 51,100 77,689 110,103
2020 3,633,734 3,093,916 240,268 59,940 50,929 79,188 106,506
2019 3,673,790 3,099,812 229,268 64,074 51,405 124,327 104,355
2018 3,684,721 3,119,316 220,578 66,907 51,308 122,935 103,959
2017 3,657,466 3,107,541 209,054 69,617 50,570 122,443 99,472
2016 3,691,975 3,146,367 202,366 71,417 50,071 125,242 97,787

Collection Size by Title

The chart below provides the number of unique titles in SILS, as well as the number of new titles added per year. E-titles refer to ebooks and e-audio books, and 'physical' titles refer to physical books and media.

All Titles All Physical Titles All E-Titles Newly Added Physical Titles Newly Added E-Titles
2022 1,242,601 1,025,720 216,881 99,870 21,417
2021 1,314,878 1,030,200 284,678 85,748 30,775
2020 1,401,036 1,012,887 388,149 49,462 123,954
2019 1,383,766 1,027,316 356,450 68,630 16,032
2018 1,677,254 1,004,414 672,840 78,997 96,240
2017 1,618,474 1,002,565 615,909 144,494 148,081
2016 1,575,926 995,790 580,136 64,630 228,316

More statistics available here: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016