Each year, our work is inspired and driven by our values of curiosity, collaboration, accountability, innovation, and inclusivity. The results take many different shapes.
Curiosity sparks in our children’s Library sections. Collaboration channels through our programs and community partnerships. Accountability guides our stewardship of public funds. Innovation materializes in our Library locations, digital services, and collection – especially through a pandemic year. Inclusivity shines in our public spaces and Outreach department.
Each Spring, we gather the previous year’s statistics to release our annual Report to the Community. The Report is meant to embody a year at the Library in a short document that details our service to the Fort Collins and Northern Colorado communities.
Compiling a year of information helps us stay accountable to the public and the City of Fort Collins. It also gives an exclusive look into the work behind keeping three branches up and running year-round and shines a well-deserved light on the generous sponsorship we receive from community members and organizations.
“2021 was a year of transition for the District as staff continued to navigate through the challenges of providing service during the pandemic, planning for new leadership, and continuing to provide innovative, collaborative, and inclusive programs, collections, and access to resources.
As we look to 2022 and beyond, the Library will be “turning outward” to hear from voices across the District to help us develop new plans and services that foster an informed, inspired, and connected community where everyone belongs.”
Poudre Libraries Executive Director, Diane Lapierre
You can read the full Report to the Community via our website – we want to share some wonderful highlights from the piece; after all, it is a report to you!
Books and Materials
2,353,711 items were checked out from Library in 2021 from our collection of 1,510,241 items. Those wishing to get ahead by placing holds comprised 368,202 of those checkouts!
In the last decade, we’ve seen our digital collection boom with the rise in demand for access to eBooks, audiobooks, movies, and television shows online. Today, our digital collection compromises nearly 80% of our entire collection.
With the magic of Interlibrary Loan and Prospector – over 52,000 items were borrowed from other Libraries’ collections.
People and Programs
Through all of the changes that came with 2021, we still saw 440,220 people pass through our doors. Perhaps these customers were on their way to use our free printing, check out a telescope, or simply enjoy our beautiful library spaces.
As a cornerstone of our work, we held 1,128 programs – 436 of which were offered in a virtual format while the pandemic continued.
They compromised everything from art classes for Día de Muertos to technology skill classes to community discussions centered around international policy. Plus, we can’t forget storytimes!
Internet and Computer Usage
As the Digital Age continues to transform the ways in which we communicate, research, and perform tasks, the Library strives to provide free and equal access to wireless internet, computers, databases, and online resources.
1,783,765 people visited www.poudrelibraries.org. Perhaps some of them came from the 33,152 in-library computer sessions.
Our databases saw 550,932 visits – whether people were exploring the possibilities of modern medicine or the impact of extreme weather on animal populations, our databases house thousands of scholarly articles to satiate curiosity.
Additionally, our partnership with the City of Fort Collins improved digital access and equity by providing Chromebooks and personal Wi-Fi hotspots for checkout.
Financials
Embodying our value of accountability, we track our operating and capital revenues and expenditures. In doing so, we attempt to be the best possible stewards of public money through fiscal tracking.
