Prison library book holdings and circulation for individual U.S. state and federal prison libraries between 1940 and 1980, including data on prisoners in each reporting prison for calculating book holdings per prisoner and circulation per prisoner. Includes a comparison with public libraries per capita holdings and circulation in 1977.

Dataset sheets:

• comparison 1977: data on book holdings per adult served and circulation yearly per adult served for federal and state prison libraries, with a comparison to corresponding data for public libraries
• summary 1977: number of prison libraries, volumes, and circulation aggregated by prison security class, based on 1977 prison library survey
• alt. prison volumes c. 1977: estimates of total prison library volumes in 1977 based on alternate sources
• survey prison libraries 1977: individual surveyed state prison libraries book holdings, circulation, and inmates in institution, U.S. 1977
• survey 1977 describe: relevant data descriptions for the 1977 prison library survey
• fed libraries 1972-8: additional data on federal prison libraries book holdings and book circulation
• additional data: specific prison systems reporting on their prison libraries, inc. New York and California state prisons

Related datasets:

• prison libraries book holdings and circulation after 1980
• prison libraries’ book holdings and circulation before 1940
• prison library book catalog records, 1809-1877