All public libraries aren’t created equal; it depends on who they serve

What Bay Area libraries spend per capita can vary dramatically from district to district, with jurisdictions like St. Helena and Mill Valley spending as much as nine times as much as those in Stockton-San Joaquin and Contra Costa County, according to numbers from the California State Library’s 2019-2020 library survey. 

Of 38 library districts in and around the Bay Area, St. Helena spent more per person within its boundaries ($190) than anywhere else, followed by Mill Valley ($167), Berkeley ($153), Burlingame ($153) and Palo Alto ($150).