I found this data set interesting as a person who loves to read and has a cynical view
of how little others read. I was disappointed I did not find a data set like this that spanned a longer time frame.
The data show an increase in collections (in number of books available for checkout) as well as an increase in library membership. The number of members has increased steadily over a span of 16 months, which is more likely a reflection of the fast-increasing Austin population instead of an increased interest in reading.
The collection size, however, increased quite a bit in August 2015 and fluctuated downward briefly the following December before increasing slightly again. This may be partially in response to an ever-increasing membership, or maybe an increased budget.
It would be interesting to compare the collection size alongside a monthly budget for the library. Did they receive more money to buy more books? Or did they do a donation drive that brought in a ton of new books? And did they have a book sale in December, or clean out old/unused books at the end of the year?
I’m also curious about how many of the library card holders are active, or have been in the past year. I know a lot of people (including myself) will apply for library cards, use them once or twice and forget the library exists.