The door count is just that, a mechanical count of door openings, which means at the front door only of the Downtown branch. So, yes, it counts every entrance, even if an individual enters more than once in a day as, for example, a staff member might when arriving for a mid-day shift start from the bus stop across the street, and then entering again after a dinner break. It counts the person ducking inside to get out of a sudden rainstorm, who chooses to browse while waiting. This is a public building, open to all, so everyone is treated equally by the door count. So 1700 “visits” a day does not necessarily mean 1700 different individuals came into the building. The staff door use is not included in the door count.

The Administration might be able to provide information about circulation by category (fiction or non-, mystery, biography, etc.) but I’ve not found that breakdown in a quick check of statistics in the annual reports posted at aadl.org.

Filtering options are available on all of the Library’s public computers. In my experience, the majority of computer users were looking up information, checking their e-mail, or conducting personal business, such as resume development, job hunting, online shopping, etc. And in my experience, the majority of library visitors were there to use library resources or to read/study quietly.

I go to my neighborhood branch library much more than I go to Downtown. Like a2person, as a library user, I’ve never had an unpleasant experience with any other patron at any of the branches, including Downtown.

These points especially affect the fixed-income population struggling to make ends meet. They depend on library programs and resources yet can’t afford to pony up more in taxes.