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\n\t\tThis story was originally published by EdSource<\/a>. Sign up for their daily newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n
For many California children, summertime means lazy days spent browsing library aisles, discovering new favorite books or just finding a cool place to hang out. California has more than 1,100 public libraries, with more than 4.35 million children registered at their local library. But what those libraries offer children varies widely depending on their funding. San Francisco Public Library, for example, receives $220 per resident while Kern County Library receives just $13 per resident despite serving a slightly larger population and twice as many children.<\/p>\n
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$59<\/p>\n
the average library funding per resident in California in 2024-25 \u2014 up 56% from $38 in 2015-16.<\/p>\n
4.35million<\/p>\n
number of children registered with a library to borrow books and access other library services in 2024-25. <\/p>\n
Related Reading<\/p>\n
Cities and towns across California only get the libraries they can afford<\/a><\/p>\n September 20, 2022<\/p>\n A small town in Kern County contemplates turning its community library into a police station<\/a><\/p>\n April 18, 2022<\/p>\n Once again, McFarland city leaders lobby the county to turn its library into a police station<\/a><\/p>\n September 29, 2022<\/p>\n EdSource is dedicated to covering in California and nationally. Other publications may republish EdSource articles, online or in print, at no charge, provided adherence to our guidelines. The embed code provided here includes a tracking pixel to enable us to measure the reach of our stories. It must be included in any online pickup of EdSource stories.<\/p>\n The following guidelines apply to all EdSource content, including stories, podcasts and video:<\/p>\n Editing stories: Trimming stories for length or adding additional localized reporting is allowed. However, if you wish to make material edits, please contact EdSource for approval prior to publication. Please reach out to Andrew and Smita at republish@edsource.org<\/a> with questions.<\/p>\n Crediting EdSource: Authors and EdSource should be credited in the byline with a link back to the original article. (This is in the embed code. Please be sure to include it.)<\/p>\n Monetization: EdSource stories cannot be sold, but it\u2019s OK to put EdSource articles on pages with ads.<\/p>\n Photos and graphics: Assets such as photos and graphics must be added manually. Photos taken by EdSource staff may be republished, but some images, such as those from third-party providers (Associated Press, iStock), may not be republished without permission or payment. Proceed with caution. You may also run your own photos with the EdSource story. On occasion, EdSource editors may be able to provide partners with embed codes for graphics or localized data. If you have questions, please contact us.<\/p>\n RSS Feeds: News organizations cannot systematically republish all EdSource articles via RSS feed or other mechanism.<\/p>\n
For many California children, summertime means lazy days spent browsing library aisles, discovering new favorite books or just finding a cool place to hang out. California has more than 1,100 public libraries, with more than 4.35 million children registered at their local library. But what those libraries offer children varies widely depending on their funding. San Francisco Public Library, for example, receives $220 per resident while Kern County Library receives just $13 per resident despite serving a slightly larger population and twice as many children.<\/p>\n $59<\/p>\n the average library funding per resident in California in 2024-25 \u2014 up 56% from $38 in 2015-16.<\/p>\n 4.35<\/p>\n million<\/p>\n number of children registered with a library to borrow books and access other library services in 2024-25. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n EdSource in your inbox!<\/p>\n Stay ahead of the latest developments on education in California and nationally from early childhood to college and beyond. Sign up for EdSource\u2019s no-cost daily email.<\/p>\n
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