While so many are looking ahead to what's coming, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on the year we just enjoyed. Our 2024 Year in Review showcases some of the bright spots from library services delivered throughout the past year. Whether you visited one of our nine locations in person, checked out books and materials from the Dream Bus at a community event, or connected with us online, we're happy that you chose to prioritize this free, community resource. As you scroll through the mountains of data below, don't forget the people behind all of these beautiful numbers:
- The Seed Library wouldn't have doubled in size if there weren't so many people exploring ways to grow their own food or start their own garden.
- The Wisconsin Book Festival couldn't host 89 events in one year without a literary community hungry to hear from the latest authors.
- 62% of all in-person absentee voting ballots wouldn't have been cast from library locations without a civically-minded populous
- 92,774 people wouldn't have attended library programs if Madison wasn't a place for community
Thank you to everyone who borrowed a book, used an online database, attended a program, or supported the library in 2024! We look forward to Celebrating the Past and Inspiring the Future in 2025 as we commemorate our 150th Anniversary as a library.
Read more below for a better look at our Year in Review, or go back and see how this year measures up against 2023, 2022, 2021 or 2020.
Physical Checkouts
There's nothing quite like the feel of a book in your hands, right? Or...a movie? Maybe you're more the video game type? Thankfully for you, we have it all! Thankfully for us, some of you already know that! In 2024, we had a total of 2,239,510 physical items checked out from our library locations. The top three most popular locations to checkout items at this year were Sequoya, Pinney and Central Libraries - with Pinney Library checking out more items this year than in 2023! Perhaps even more interesting than how many items were checked out this year, was what everyone was reading. We listed the Top 10 Most Requested Titles, as well as a list of read-a-likes so you can start enjoy these recommendations right away:
Year in Review Reading List:
- The Women by Kristin Hannah | Read-a-likes: The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli, Absolution by Alice McDermott, Sisters in Arms by Kaia Alderson
- James by Percival Everett
- The God of the Woods by Liz Moore | Read-a-likes: All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers,What Have You Done by Shari Lapena, titles by Lucy Foley, Lisa Jewell, Tana French
- All Fours by Miranda July | Read-a-likes: Milk Fed by Melissa Broder, I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself by Glynnis MacNicol, Wayward by Dana Spiotta
- Intermezzo by Sally Rooney | Read-a-likes: Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors, A Reason to See You Again by Jami Attenberg, The Wild Laughter by Caoilinn Hughes, Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
- The Wedding People by Alison Espach | Read-a-likes: Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason, Lovers and Liars by Amanda Eyre Ward, The People We Hate at the Wedding by Grant Ginder
- Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner | Read-a-likes: Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
- Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout | Read-a-likes: Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo, Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf
- The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich | Read-a-likes: Mona at Sea by Elizabeth Gonzalez James, Great Alone by Kristin Hannah, Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver, Praiseworthy by Alexis Wright
- All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker | Read-a-likes: When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain, Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara
Many of the books on this list are in our Too Good To Miss collection - a collection of new and popular titles available at all Madison Public Library locations on a walk-in, first-come-first-served basis.
Note: physical materials include only items that can be checked out at the library - so eBooks and Audiobooks aren’t included in these numbers.
Digital Checkouts
We love being able to provide online resources that are available anywhere you are! Through Wisconsin's Digital Library (which can be accessed on the Libby app), you can read Audiobooks, eBooks, and Magazines on the go, enjoying thousands of popular titles in digital formats. In 2024, we had 777,006 checkouts for all of our online materials, which represented a 10% increase when compared to 2023's checkout numbers.
While eBook checkouts decreased slightly (-2%), both audiobooks (+7%) and magazines (up an incredible 109%) increased significantly in 2024. Overall, the number of unique users for the online collection increased from 25,850 in 2023 to 28,470 in 2024. If you haven't set up your Libby account yet, now's the perfect time to get started with online content and you'll save money by checking these items out from the library instead of purchasing them through subscription services. Explore the Library Value Calculator to see how much your use of the library saves you.
We also wanted to share the Top 5 Titles for eBooks, Audiobooks, and Magazines in terms of checkouts, so you can see what you might have missed in 2024! The only repeat title on the eBook Top 5 this year was Don't Believe It by Charlie Donlea, who moved from the #5 spot in 2023 to the #2 spot in 2024, but was edged out by Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver as the most popular eBook title of 2024. In popular Audiobook checkouts, 101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think and You Shouldn't Have Come Here remained on the list from 2023 to 2024, but Pretty Girls by Karen Slaughter took the top spot with 1,765 checkouts in 2024. For magazines, The New Yorker remained in the top spot from 2023 to 2024 with more than 18,000 checkouts last year!
Did you miss these popular titles and magazines last year? There's still time to check them out in 2025:
Year in Review eReading List:
Top 5 eBooks:
- Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver | Read-a-likes: Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart, Betty by Tiffany McDaniel, Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
- Don't Believe It by Charlie Donlea | Read-a-like Authors: Lisa Jewell, Mary Kubica
- Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt | Read-a-likes: The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons, Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen, What You Are Looking for Is In the Library by Michiko Aoyama
- The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins | Read-a-likes: Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn, Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough
- Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros | Read-a-likes: Deadly Education by Naomi Novik, Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen, Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong
Top 5 Audiobooks:
- Pretty Girls by Karen Slaughter | Read-a-likes: None of This is True by Lisa Jewell, Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris
- 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think by Brianna Wiest | Read-a-likes: The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer, Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig, The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga
- You Shouldn't Have Come Here by Jeneva Rose | Read-a-likes: The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz, They All Fall Down by Rachel Howzell Hall
- Wool by Hugh Howey | Read-a-likes: The Salt Line by Holly Goddard Jones, The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin, Red Rising by Pierce Brown
- Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros | Read-a-likes: A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair, A Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire Legrand, To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose
Library Visits
There are so many reasons to visit the library! Whether you’re reserving a meeting or study room, using one of the computers or accessing the free Wi-Fi, borrowing books, attending programs, voting or bringing your kids in to play, the library is a community hub where everyone is welcome. In 2024, we had more than 1.3 MILLION visits to our libraries - a 6.8% increase from last year - and there were three locations that stood out as the most popular to visit. Central Library had over a quarter of a million visits all on its own last year, while Sequoya Library had over 250,000 visits and Pinney Library had 234,181.
For the first time this year, we were also able to share with you the number of study room and meeting room reservations within our libraries, and you can see that many people were able to use these free, public spaces to work, meet, study, read, craft, and more throughout the year!
Interested in visiting more library locations? Find out where each library is located.
Library Programs
Many people's first entry into the library is through our programs. Whether your bring your little ones to a storytime, attend a book discussion, or enjoy one of our signature event series throughout the year like Naturalist-in-Residence or Teejop & Beyond programs, these opportunities to connect with your fellow Madisonians also afford you the chance to learn something new! In 2024, more than 90,000 of you took that opportunity for personal growth and development and attended one of the 4,477 library programs we hosted last year. Looking for fun, free activities for all ages in Madison? Check out what's happening at the library.
In addition to programs in our libraries, we also hosted 671 offsite programs, including activities like button making at Parks Alive events, birding walks using our Birding Backpacks, and many more. Finally, we offered YOU the opportunity to host programs in our spaces, as well. Our large meeting rooms at each library location are available for groups to reserve--free of charge--as long as the events planned are free and open to the public. Last year, we had 1,344 free and open to the public, community-led meetings.
Interested in reserving a meeting room? Read our rules of use and fill out a meeting room application form (must be a Madison Public Library-card holder).
Wisconsin Book Festival
In 2024, more than 12,500 people attended the 89 events hosted by the Wisconsin Book Festival throughout the year! Authors came from far and wide to speak at Central Library and other venues around town, including famous names like Jeff Kinney, Karla Arenas Valenti, Laura Bird, Ijeoma Oluo, Alan Moore, Ed Yong, Natalia Sylvester, and so many more!
"The festival also records and archives nearly all of its events so the audience can access the events virtually after they happen. This has broadened the festival’s reach; more than 1,000 additional people watched recorded author talks online after the live events. This added audience represents 10% of the total audience and showcases not only the longevity of book festival content but also how this offering extends the reach to new and different audiences," said Wisconsin Book Festival Director Jane Rotonda.
The Madison Public Library Foundation continued to support free book giveaways for the Wisconsin Book Festival in 2024, which allowed them to gift event attendees with 3,928 FREE books throughout the year. As part of their work in the local community, they also hosted 3 events at local schools and gave away over 650 books to students.
The Wisconsin Book Festival will return in 2025:
Luckily for all of us, the Wisconsin Book Festival is returning in 2025 - they’ve already got a slate of 17 events planned between February and May. Be sure to save the date for the Fall Celebration October 23-26, 2025! See the lineup and learn more on the Wisconsin Book Festival's website.
Wi-Fi & Computer Use
Being able to offer FREE computers to the public is something we are very proud of. We know how vital access to the internet can be - whether it’s applying for a job, getting an application in, printing forms or even just for a needed entertainment break! In 2024, the number of computer sessions increased by 7.8% from 130,644 in 2023 to well over 140,000 in 2024.
The library is a free place to work, study or browse the web-- plus, you’re surrounded by resources to help supplement what you find online. If you’re using the public computers for entrepreneurial pursuits, you can also check out our online Business Hub or connect to our Business Librarian, who can help you get connected with helpful resources to take your business to the next level!
Throughout 2024 we offered 912 One-on-One Computer Assistance sessions at various libraries where patrons could get help with basic computer or Internet skills, using a smart phone, downloading library eBooks and audiobooks, and more. We'll continue offering these sessions throughout 2025, so visit our madpl.org/digitalliteracy page or simply check the calendar for more info.
Online Databases
Accessing resources from home or on the go has become increasingly important, so we've added even more online databases to help facilitate that. In 2024, we saw usage of our online databases continue to grow! Digital access to The New York Times and Consumer Reports were the most popular online tools last year, with Kanopy, our video streaming service, coming in third with 76,538 videos played in 2024 - a 24.6% increase from last year. You can see the Top 5 titles watched on Kanopy in 2024 - Past Lives took the top spot! Additionally, we were able to meet genealogy, research and financial investment queries with the help of databases like Newspaper Archive and Value Line Investment Survey. Our online databases cover everything from studying for ACT/SAT tests or US Citizenship tests using Gale Peterson's Test & Career Prep to learning a new language with Transparent Language (Spanish, French, and Italian were popular in 2024 - what will you try this year?)
Explore databases today: madpl.org/databases.
Book Lists & Book Club Kits
As you probably already know, we have a truly EPIC collection of books! We like finding new ways to make it easier for you to find what you love to read and enjoy reading with friends and family. That's where our book lists and Book Club Kits come in! With more than 200 individual book lists curated by library staffers and featuring titles for kids, teens, and adults on tons of different topics, you're sure to find something that's the right fit for you. Many people are starting reading challenges at the beginning of the year, and if you need some good inspiration, our book lists can be the perfect place to visit again and again as they get updated regularly. This year, more than 80,000 people visited the book list section of our website, with our middle school and young adult lists being particularly popular in 2024.
If you're more interested in reading with friends and discussing what you read, head over to the Book Club Kits database where you'll find 477 titles to choose from (which amounts to 6,550 individual books)! Once you select a title, simply call the library to reserve your kit (most average 13-14 copies of the book and often include discussion questions, too---all pre-packaged for your book club enjoyment). We had 825 Book Club Kit checkouts in 2024 (+12.4% from 2023), with the top title once again going to the Go Big Read title for the year, Sitting Pretty: The View From My Ordinary, Resilient Disabled Body by Rebekah Taussig. Another notable title in the Top 5 this year is The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, which is awesome because 1.) It's a great book, and 2.) It's a Book Club Kit that was donated to the collection by a local book club earlier this year! We'd like to thank The Baltzell Street Book Club, who are avid users of our Book Club Kits and who have donated multiple titles previously to add to this collection for their generous donation.
One other perk of checking out a Book Club Kit to enjoy with your small group or book club? The check out time is three months for this special collection! Learn more and browse the Book Club Kits collection online.
Dream Bus
In its fifth year of service, the Dream Bus really outdid itself! Our mobile library visited a dozen (or more) sites every week to provide library access and resources to locations that experience transportation barriers for our other locations. The Dream Bus also supports us by attending community events throughout the summer and providing engaging art and making activities for kids of all ages. This past year, you may have spotted our colorful bus at Mobile Madison, Think Like A DJ and Parks Alive events, where they signed people up for library cards, invited kids and families to browse the collection, and gave away WE READ and other literacy materials.
The Dream Bus is a partnership with Dane County Library service, and so it operates at stops throughout Madison, but also at stops in Sun Prairie. The number of overall checkouts (which increased an incredible 48% from 2023) includes items checked out at Sun Prairie locations, but 6,000+ visits, 166 new library cards, and 17 community events were all specific to Madison!
Read more about the history of the Dream Bus and see the Dream Bus schedule online.
Library of Things
One of the most beloved parts of our collection is the Library of Things! These unexpected items add fun and entertainment to the Madison community, but they do more than that, too. Many of the items or activities that are part of the Library of Things collection can come with a steep barrier to entry in terms of cost. Interested in birding but not sure if it's the right activity for you? Want to try an eBike but worried it might not be a good fit? Intrigued by LED light therapy but worried about investing in your own before trying? The Library of Things is a great place to get a sample of activities that could have a high market value before purchasing, or to simply enjoy those activities without having to worry about the cost.
This year, we saw some interesting trends - the Seed Library was incredibly popular, of course! We added three new locations in 2024 - Alicia Ashman, Monroe Street, and Hawthorne Library - so that library visitors can now pick up seeds from every location except for Central Library. We were also able to increase the amount of seed packets we gave out in the spring by nearly double, increasing from 24,600 seed packets given away in spring 2023 to a massive 46,920 seed packets in spring 2024. Sequoya Library alone gave out 15,000 seed packets in 2024! We had fewer Birding Backpack and vinyl record checkouts in 2024, but saw increases in checkouts for Disc Golf Kits, Record Players and Happy Lights. All of these items and more are available from our Library of Things online - see what else you can check out from the library.
The Bubbler
The Bubbler at Madison Public Library brings the art! In fact, they bring the art, artists, exhibitions, and so much more to our library spaces. The Bubbler has been enhancing our libraries through programming, exhibitions, and pure creative joy for more than 10 years, and we wouldn't want it any other way. In 2024, the library contracted with 140 artists through the Bubbler! Of that number, 11 were part of the Making Justice program - a community-based learning program for at-risk and court-involved teens that includes weekly workshops and an artist-in-residence opportunity, 9 were placed in our libraries over the summer to create weekly programs for kids and families, and 6 served as Artists-in-Residence.
The Bubbler also continued to transform our spaces by including art exhibitions throughout the year at nearly every. single. library. In 2024, we showcased 44 artists in 19 exhibitions hosted across 8 library locations! One other, more subtle thing they do, are provide passive prompts and activities that get visitors thinking about the ways we connect to each other, inhabit spaces, envision the future, and more. Two such activities in 2024 were the Wishing Well, created by Artist-in-Residence Maria Schirmer Devitt and Lower Astronomy Studios--which collected 1,295 wishes from the Madison community--and a prompt that accompanied the Our Town Everywhere exhibition at Central Library asking "How does it feel to be seen?", which received 317 responses.
The Bubbler will play a big part in the 150th Anniversary celebrations in 2025, so stay connected with their Artists-in-Residence, exhibitions, and more.
Library Cards
Library Cards are at the core of what we do! Your Madison Public Library card gives you access to a whole world of entertainment and access, and in 2020 we reduced barriers even further by eliminating overdue fines.
In 2024, we issued 15,642 new Library Cards (-2.3% from 2023). However, while the number of "new" library card holders in Madison decreased slightly when compared to last year, the overall number of people who have a library card within Madison increased by 1,638 cards or 1.35%.
Borrow Services Manager Margie said, "Since the 2024 increase in cardholders is greater than the number of new cardholders, we must be getting a number of cardholders who are changing their Home Library from another SCLS home library to a Madison home library." This could be the result of population growth in Madison - people moving into the city, or a number of other factors.
Your library card is a free pass to millions of books, 30,000+ titles on Kanopy, hundreds of newspaper and magazine subscriptions and so much more.
Don't have a library card yet? What are you waiting for?! Get one today: madpl.org/apply
Community Impact
You may be wondering what "community impact" means. Well, to us, it's those things that help support the community, increase well-being, and bring people together around a common cause. In 2024, most of our libraries served as in-person absentee voting locations for four elections throughout the year. We worked closely with the City Clerk's staff to offer safe, warm spaces for Madisonians to cast their votes, return their ballots, and register to vote, and especially during the November election our libraries were incredibly busy!
In fact, 64% of all in-person absentee voters in Madison cast their IPAV vote within a library, and between the efforts of Library and Clerk's Office staff, 5,448 people were registered to vote within our libraries, as well. In addition to helping out during election cycles, we're also proud to have been able to help distribute over 62,000 free covid-19 test kits in 2024. And we owe a big THANK YOU to the volunteers who helped out in libraries and contributed 6,612 hours of their time collectively to serving our community. If you're interested in volunteering with Madison Public Library, you can see opportunities available at each library location by filling out the online form.