2021: Library in Review
All statistics are from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021, except where otherwise noted.
Download a PDF of these statistics.
Library Visitors
The Library welcomed 970,598 visitors through its doors.
Library Members
By the end of Fiscal Year 2021, 300,997 people were active library cardholders, having used their account within the past two years.
Total Materials Borrowed
Library users borrowed 5,221,219 items.
Digital Materials Borrowed
The Library's digital formats were very popular with customers, who circulated 2,462,821 items.
Programs
The Library encouraged the love of reading and learning by offering 8,957 programs with a total attendance of 259,337.
Pre-Third-Grade Literacy Impact
The Library has made a commitment to partner with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to expand literacy programming for pre-third-grade students. Attendance for these library programs was 218,006 participants.
Volunteers
1,241 volunteers contributed 38,496 hours of service in libraries.
Job Help
Customer Support
As the Library continued to serve the community with limited services in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the community still relied on the Libary to help them find answers and the resources they needed. Library staff answered 861,224 reference questions in person or over the phone. 117,156 of those questions were related to technology instruction.
Here's how many questions we answered based on category:
Education and Lifelong Learding - 82,992
Reader's Advisory - 160,264
Workforce Development - 28,184
Library Account Information - 199,056
Directional - 252,668
Other - 138,060
Essential Leader
Funded by CARES grants, the Merancas Foundation and private donations, MeckTech distributed 2,522 free laptops to Mecklenburg County adults without a home computer. Each kit included a refurbished computer with preloaded applications to help bridge the digital divide. This program earned a 2020 Top Innovator award from the Urban Libraries Council.
Summer Break: A fresh take on Summer Reading
The Library's Summer Break program engages participants with learning and literacy over the summer, when they’re most at risk of losing academic gains made throughout the school year. Summer Break encourages kids to participate in a variety of activities over the summer, in addition to reading.
- Total minutes read - 7.5 million.
- Summer Break program completers - 2,507
Get Social: Social Media Followers
Staying connected to the community in a variety of formats is important as a trusted community institution, and how we get news about the Library's phenomenal programs, resources and programs is important. Luckily, 20,593 people followed us on Facebook in Fiscal Year 2021. Another 7,293 followed us on Instagram, 5,034 followed us on LinkedIn and 11,200 followed us on Twitter.
Consider following us to stay connected.