Colfax Public Library annual report: 55 percent increase in attendance
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — The Colfax Public Library experienced a 55 percent increase in overall attendance in 2023 compared to 2022.
In addition to the overall attendance increasing, the Colfax library also experienced a 35 percent increase in program attendance in 2023 compared to 2022, along with a 3 percent increase in circulation, and a 9 percent increase in adult readership, said Lisa Bragg-Hurlburt, who presented a report on Colfax library operations at the Dunn County Board’s February 21 meeting.
The library also had a total circulation in 2023 of 31,308, along with 79 new library cards issued for the year, she said.
The Colfax Public Library added 1,140 books movies and kits to the collection, too, Bragg-Hurlburt said.
Annual report
According to the Colfax Public Library’s annual report, the library operates in a space of 1,800 square feet and is open 39 hours per week all 52 weeks of the year.
The library has 9,498 books, and access to 171,980 electronic books.
The Colfax library has 240 audio materials, along with access to 76,537 downloadable electronic audio materials, and 1,207 videos, the report states.
There are 22 kits and equipment available for check out at the Colfax Public Library.
Out of the total circulation of 31,308, children’s materials circulated accounted for 18,353, or 59 percent of the total circulation.
The Colfax library provided 7,688 items for interlibrary loans and received 10,584 items from interlibrary loans, according to the annual report.
The library has three public computers, and there were 3,274 uses of the public wireless internet, while the library’s website had 3,779 visits.
Total uses of electronic materials amounted to 4,988 for 2023.
Programs
The library had 78 programs for children up to 5 years of age, and total attendance was 1,135, according to the annual report.
The library had 16 programs for children ages 6 to 11, and total attendance was 531.
The library had 12 programs for adults, and a total attendance of 103.
The Colfax Public Library’s in-person programs included twice-weekly story time, evening story time, summer reading programs, Lego Club, Book Club, a scavenger hunt, story time for first graders, and a program about the history of women’s struggle for the right to vote.
Revenue
A total of 237 village residents were registered users of the Colfax library in 2023, and there were 719 non-residents who were registered users.
Taxpayer funding for the library reflects the usage, with Dunn County providing 60 percent of the library’s funding to account for people living in the surrounding townships who use the library.
The library received $61,695 in operating revenue in 2023 from the Village of Colfax and received $96,778 in operating revenue from Dunn County, according to the annual report.
The Colfax library also received $4,541 from Chippewa County for Chippewa County residents who used the Colfax library, received $361 from Eau Claire County for Eau Claire County residents who used the Colfax library, and received $49 from Clark County for Clark County residents who used the Colfax library.
The circulation to non-Colfax residents who live in Dunn County and have a library where they reside was 348. The circulation to non-residents who live in Dunn County and do not have a library where they reside was 16,250.
Circulation to non-Colfax residents living in another county with a library where they reside was 891, and the circulation to non-residents living in another county without a library was 1,017.
The circulation to non-residents living in an adjacent county who do not have a local public library was 8 for Barron County; 928 for Chippewa County; 68 for Eau Claire County; 1 for Polk County; and 12 for St. Croix County.
Members of the Colfax Public Library Board of Directors include Claudia Kressin, Nancy Baumgartner, Megan Cormican, Gary Stene, Eve Suckow, Jeanne Herrick and Abbie Hartung.
