A slightly down year for the Guelph Public Library, but there has been some growth in some of its programming year-over-year.
The GPL’s year in review for 2024 was released Thursday.
It indicated there were 1.94 million visits to a branch or website in 2024, down from the 1.99 million it reported for 2023.
This includes 848,531 in-person visits, and over a million online visits.
There were also 2.21 million items checked out, or about 6,076 items a day on average.
That is a decrease from the 2.23 million items a year prior.
Among the most popular items checked out: disc golf sets, headphones, WiFi hotspots and Ontario Parks passes.
The library also had 8,348 new cardholders access services, down slightly from the 8,454 such cardholders reported in 2023.
Despite those decreases, the library is celebrating increases in key programs.
The Makerspace, the hands-on learning environment found at Westminster Square Branch, saw use from 3,491 people, an 11 per cent increase from last year.
As well, programming saw a 28 per cent increase, from almost 26,000 participants in 2023 to 35,264 last year.
Beyond the numbers, the library said it has added services to help the community at large.
CEO Dan Atkins highlighted access to harm reduction tools, naloxone training for staff and the BRAVE sensors in washrooms for medical emergencies.