Statistics of renewals in public libraries

Very little data are available on public library renewals. In a related study of CLSI Daily Logs for 14 Illinois public libraries for 1986/87, it was discovered that the number of renewals was recorded as well as the total daily circulation. The five libraries without renewals served fewer people on the average, had a lower total annual circulation, and used a longer loan period than the nine libraries with renewals. Renewals were about 3% of total circulation-almost 6% for those with two-week loan periods and only 2% for those with four-week loans.