Library Sees Rise in Circulation in Annual Report

Circulation at the St. Charles Public Library is up 8.5 percent this year, according to an annual report released Wednesday night.

These latest figures put the total circulation for the library at 1.6 million.

The report was released during the St. Charles Public Library Board of Trustees annual meeting on Wednesday. These figures, which show increases in several areas, come at a time when the trustees are pursuing a $35 million building referendum because of rising demands.

A surprising number for one of the trustees was the DVD circulation, which jumped 15.6 percent over last year.

"I think it really shows that Borders and Blockbuster might be going downhill but we're not," said board Treasurer Debra McManus.

McManus said she sees the month-long waiting list she is on for the first season of Mad Men as an indication of the increase in demands for DVDs.

Library card usage is up as well. Nearly 58 percent of library district residents have a library card with St. Charles. This is up almost 4 percent from the previous year.

Library Director Diana Brown said the economy and patrons seeing more services offered by the library are responsible for the increase.

"I believe the economy has a lot to do with it," she said.

Highlights from the report:

• For the fifth year, the library was ranked top 10 percent of U.S. public libraries in its population category.
• The library was named a "Favorite Place" on Google. Less than 1 percent of businesses are listed as favorite on Google, according to the report.
• The writer's group for the library celebrated its 15th anniversary.