By last week, some kids had already completed their summer challenges, and are ready for more, Capehart said.
“During lockdown, of course we weren’t open, but as soon as we could, we reopened curbside service and looked into the ways we could do virtual programs, and we did quite a number of them,” Capehart said. “But as soon as we were able to, we started to have live programs, and very slowly they have crept back, and I think we are going to break records this year for summer reading and circulation.”
The Clermont County, Greene County, and MidPointe (Butler County) Public Library systems had a combined “door count,” or number of patron visits, of just over 2.22 million in 2019. That number dropped to about 1.1 million in 2021, and crept back up to around 1.4 million in 2022.
“We haven’t gotten back to 2019, but considering how devastating COVID was, we’re really proud of our staff for how well they’ve engaged with the public,” said Greene County Library Community Information Coordinator Evan Scott. “The magic happens when you engage with a librarian.”
At the same time, library digital downloads are increasing. Public libraries offer access to a multitude of streaming services, including Overdrive, Kanopy, Hoopla, and Freegal, for digital ebooks, audiobooks, movies, TV shows and magazines.
In Greene County alone, digital downloads have increased steadily from 500,000 in 2019 to about 686,000 in 2022. Greene County is on pace to exceed 735,000 digital downloads in 2023.
The digital and in-person elements are two examples of the changing role of libraries.
“Libraries have become community centers. Providing access to books is still an important part of what we do. However, we have become much more than that,” said Dayton Metro Library Executive Director Jeffrey Trzeciak. “We are welcoming spaces where everyone in the community can come and know that we will be here to support their needs.”
Patrons came through the doors of Dayton Metro Library branches just shy of 500,000 times in 2022, with that number on pace to breach 625,000 by the end of 2023.
Additionally, while Dayton library programs have not quite bounced back to pre-pandemic levels, people have returned to Dayton Metro Library events nearly fourfold - from 18,889 people in 2021, to 77,731 in 2022.
The most well-attended are programs for young children, said Youth Services Director Allison Knight. Additionally, Dayton Metro’s culturally responsive programs are the highest attended large-scale events, including over 200 at “Blacknificence” in February, and over 60 at the Arab American Heritage Month Day Party held in April.
“Library programs have shifted in ways that were not really due to COVID,” she said. “What has changed is our commitment to inclusivity and uplifting other identities through cultural programming, as well as working with programmatic consultants to make sure that those programs are reflective of and of interest to the demographics that they are highlighting.”
About the Author
