The State of the Library, 2024
Circulation
In 2024, the number of books, eBooks, audiobooks, large print books, etc. borrowed by our community grew by 4.3% to a total of 604,144 checkouts system-wide, including:
- Bowling Green: 376,272 (^1.1%)
- Walbridge: 46,140
- Bookmobile & Outreach: 14,187
- Wood County Jail Library: 10,602
- eMedia & Digital Content: 156,943 (^18.4%)
Cardholders: 23,867 (+7.0%)
The library owns a collection of 169,606 items across four locations.
All library locations cumulatively saw 152,951 total visitors (a 7% increase), with an average of 2,941 visitors per week.
Events
The library offered 1,160 programs and events over the course of 2024. These programs and events were attended by 37,054 people (a 23% increase).
2024 Highlights
- The Foundation's Novel Night raised over $143,000 for the purchase of new books, audiobooks, eBooks, large print books, picture books, and more.
- Author visits like those with Traci Sorell, Elle Cosimano, Eric Litwin, Micha Archer, Cara Mangini, and Jarrett Lerner were met with excitement and large crowds.
- We welcomed a new Bookmobile and expanded our public stops from 11 to 18 across our service district.
- Over 1,200 children explored the world around them with Adventure Begins at Your Library, the 2024 Summer Reading Program.
- Over 2,400 entries were submitted to our adult Winter Reads Program.
- Special guests like Heidi Woodward-Sheffield and Ohio's First Lady, Fran DeWine, celebrated our involvement in Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in Wood County.
- We were out and about around Wood County with Outreach & Bookmobile services, going to more schools, learning centers, childcare facilities, and senior living facilities than ever before.
2024 Revenue
| Source: | Amount: | Percentage: |
|---|---|---|
| State Public Library Fund | $1,859,667 | 53.05% |
| Local Levy | $1,152,354 | 32.88% |
| Fees, Interest, Misc. | $212,880 | 6.07% |
| Foundation & Friends | $280,507 | 8.00% |
| Total | $3,505,408 |
2024 Expenditures
| Category: | Amount: | Percentage: |
|---|---|---|
| Personnel | $1,792,987 | 57.64% |
| Supplies | $64,692 | 2.08% |
| Services | $598,892 | 19.26% |
| New Materials | $555,874 | 17.87% |
| FFE & Technology | $80,632 | 2.59% |
| Other | $17,539 | 0.56% |
| Total General Fund | $3,110,616 | |
| Total Capital Fund | $363,832 | |
| Grand Total | $3,474,448 |
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- 0.8 mill, 5-year levy passed in November 2010 with 58% approval.
- Levy RENEWED for 6 years in November 2014 with 70% approval.
- Levy RENEWED for 6 years in November 2020 with 73% approval.
- The current levy will next be on the ballot in November 2026.
- State funding for libraries is set at 1.70% of General Revenue.
- As the economy improves and state revenues grow, so does support for libraries. As General Revenue decreases (or is cut), so does support for libraries.
You may download PDFs of the current and previous States of the Library from the links below.