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Circulation

Circulation by Item Location
  2023-2024 2022-2023 2021-2022 2020-2021 2019-2020
Regular Collections 4,279 4,516 4,321 3,944 4,674
Government Publications 181 2 1 0 0
Permanent Reserves 51 56 60 71 176
Textbooks / Course Reserves 258 339 415 367 1,369
Maps 8 0 0 1 6
Popular Collection 138 173 223 377 354
Faculty Publications Shelf 17 11 11 6 13
Craft Center - Smithville 47 81 30 73 57
Women's Center 13 21 22 n/a n/a
Technology Equipment 2,149 3,105 3,413 824 25,434
Umbrellas 123 202 586 245 965
TOTALS 7,264 8,578 9,084 5,908 33,048
Circulation by Patron Type
PATRON TYPE 2023-2024 2022-2023 2021-2022 2020-2021 2019-2020
Undergraduate Student 5,766 6,539 4,915 2,451 26,941
Graduate Student 370 562 814 485 1,399
Employee 838 985 1,203 1,124 1,279
Community Patron 290 365 329 499 612
TOTALS 7,264 8,451 7,259 4,559  30,231
These totals do not equal the circulation by item location totals because this table does not include items that circulate through InterLibrary Loan for other libraries.
Volpe Library Circulation by Call Number
(books and media*, all locations, not renewals)
Call Number 2023-2024 2022-2023 2021-2022 2020-2021 2019-2020
A (General Works) 7 7 10 3 20
B (Philosophy, Psychology, Religion) 265 398 235 334 456
C (Auxiliary Sciences of History) 11 22 20 8 23
D (World History) 253 267 307 295 436
E-F (History of the Americas) 315 280 356 330 332
G (Geography, Anthropology, Recreation) 176 200 151 164 148
H (Social Sciences) 486 523 418 526 447
J (Political Science) 57 64 49 77 49
K (Law) 36 23 31 33 33
L (Education) 143 226 287 193 295
M (Music) 718 360 372 209 263
N (Fine Arts) 121 227 156 244 161
P (Language and Literature) 763 874 848 872 870
Q (Science) 386 537 489 361 479
R (Medicine) 181 242 138 154 291
S (Agriculture) 54 80 84 124 123
T (Technology) 323 416 403 393 387
U (Military Science) 27 18 17 20 13
V (Naval Science) 5 12 14 6 1
Z (Bibliography, Library Science) 20 91 37 30 36
TOTALS 4,347 4,868 4,422 4,376 4,863

*only includes faculty display shelf, permanent reserves, music media, oversized, and the main circulating collection.

Notes

2023-2024: This year overall circulation decreased again. The government document circulation increased by quite a bit, which could be due to cataloging the government document collection so users can find the materials. The circulation of music materials doubled compared to last year. The library has purchased a lot of music scores at the request of faculty, which could account for the large increase.

2022-2023: This year overall circulation decreased slightly, but circulation increased for undergraduate students.

2021-2022: This year the Women's Center began using our library system for their library checkouts. Overall, circulation increased as pandemic restrictions and behaviors were more relaxed except for the main library collection.

2020-2021:  There was much less library traffic due to COVID-19.  Library circulation of the collections was fairly steady except for decreases in textbook/course reserves, popular collection, and umbrellas.  TechCheck was closed until spring semester and then only circulated laptops, which resulted in drastic decreases in technology circulation.

2019-2020: Circulation was suspended after the university went to online classes only in March 2020 through June 30, 2020.

2018-2019: Circulation was decreased by approximately 43% this year, mainly due to the drastic reduction in four-hour technology checkouts.  The TechCheck desk moved back under ITS' management and was relocated by the IT Help Desk.  Additionally, circulation was down in almost all call number ranges and every item location except umbrellas, which increased by approximately 600 checkouts.

2017-2018: Total circulation decreased for the first time since laptop checkouts began. Circulation in most areas was the same as last year or decreased with the exception of course reserves, which increased due to additional available textbooks.

2016-2017: Overall circulation increased again, mostly due to laptop checkouts. This was the first full year all student technology checkouts were at the front desk. The four-day equipment increased due to calculators and the newly-added umbrellas. Circulation of the regular collection increased in almost every call number range.

Tennessee Tech Library - more than you expect

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