Information courtesy of Granville Public Information Officer Terry Hobgood
The Granville County Library System reports that more than 139,000 people have come through the doors of its four branches this year, which represents an increase of more than 33 percent from the previous year.
Those visitors have come for a variety of reasons – from registering for a library card and checking out books and other materials to attending programs and using the computers.
Patrons have checked out 88,779 materials – a 17 percent increase from last year. There was a 14 percent jump in the number of children’s books that were checked out and library card registrations went up 17 percent over last year, according to information from Granville County Library System Director Will Robinson.
“These statistics help tell the story about how critical the library is for Granville County residents,” Robinson said.
Access to technology continued to be a major draw to all GCLS branches as public computer use increased by 35 percent.
All GCLS branches saw lots of programming activity and attendance throughout the year by hosting a total of 682 programs. Adult programming saw the largest boost this year with a more than 100% increase from 21-22. Attendance was strong at all library programs with an average of 19 people attending each activity.
“We have seen a particularly high demand for in-person programs and services and these stats show that all our branches are busy and thriving,” Robinson said, handing credit to the hard work of library staff to provide a safe and welcoming environment along with programs and services that library users want. “We believe the programs and services that GCLS offers provide a strong return on investment from the funding we receive from Granville County taxpayers, the State Library of North Carolina, and our other state and federal granting agencies,” Robinson said.
For more information about services and programs offered by the Granville County Library system, visit the library website at https://granville.lib.nc.us/. Or visit any of the four branches: Richard H. Thornton (210 Main Street, Oxford), South (1550 South Campus Drive, Creedmoor), Stovall (300 Main Street, Stovall), and Berea (1211 US Highway 158, Oxford).