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The construction of branch libraries in Chisago County has not gone without notice by taxpayers and other patrons...positive notice that is. Patron visits and circulation of books and materials out of local branches has skyrocketed since the branch projects opened for public use a few years ago.

According to information supplied to the Chisago County Board Chisago County's new branch sites, and the Rush City Library remodel, are seeing the most-use in the regional system.

There are six counties in the East Central Regional Library, and more than a dozen branch libraries.

Chisago County materials circulation surpassed even the headquarters county, Isanti, in 2008.

Chisago County libraries accounted for 27 percent of the six-county activity.

As for computer hours, Chisago County branches chalked up 34 percent of all computer hours in 2008 of the system's six counties.

In headcount or use of library cards, Chisago County ranked 32 percent compared to Isanti at 18 percent of all the patrons in the system, Pine County had 16 percent, Mille Lacs had 14 percent, Kanabec 12 percent and Aitkin had 8 percent.

~ The numbers in the annual report also reveal that in every hour that the Chisago County branch sites were open, 22 people visits were made.

~ Approximately $220,000 in materials were added to inventory in 2008.

~ It costs $64,000 every year to pay for the license for the computer system that automates the ECRL.

~ On line data bases cost another $7,756 and include access to ancestry.com, practice tests for ACT and SAT, learn a tests programs for civil service, law enforcement, postal positions, nursing and more.

The libraries employ 15 staff total for the county branches.

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