The Seattle Public Library's 2022 Impact Report Highlights Return of In-person Programs, Rebound of Print Circulation
release date: September 7, 2023
In 2022, The Seattle Public Library restored open hours, restarted core in-person programs such as Homework Help and added a new Social Services Team and other equity-focused services.
Those are a few highlights of the Library’s 2022 Impact Report, an annual accounting of the Library’s performance and impact on the community.
“It was a year of rebuilding and recovery as we brought back essential programs while creating new services that responded to our community’s changing needs,” said Chief Librarian Tom Fay.
The Impact Report, published digitally at www.spl.org/impact, includes key Library statistics and summaries of the Library’s impact in five areas: expanding Library access, student success, adult learning, small business support, and civic and cultural engagement.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2022 IMPACT REPORT
Here is a brief summary of how The Seattle Public Library served its community in 2022:
- Checkouts of physical materials rebounded as the Library’s hours increased and patrons began visiting libraries more regularly again, with a 35% increase in circulation compared to 2021. The Seattle Public Library’s patrons also continued to check out digital materials at a high rate.
- The Library celebrated the fifth anniversary of Peak Picks, a highly popular Library Levy-funded program that allows patrons to check out popular, recently published physical books with no wait. Peak Picks titles have circulated more than 800,000 times since the program launched in 2017.
- In the fall of 2022, the Library restarted its free, in-person Homework Help program at six locations, focusing on branches that serve students furthest from educational and social justice. 290 students attended Homework Help sessions in the fall of 2022.
- The Library installed 22 ScanEZ stations for patrons to make free scans and copies, send faxes and translate scanned text to 100 different languages. It also loaned 1,270 Wi-Fi hot spots in the community, including 465 for long-term access.
- Despite pandemic-related challenges, the Library restored open hours to 90% of pre-pandemic levels and prepared for the expansion of Levy-funded open hours in 2023.
- The Library created an in-house Social Services Team, including a social services librarian, a senior community resource specialist and a Library Levy-funded community resource specialist who will be the expert on services for youth up to age 26.
- The Library began a multi-year process to build a new strategic plan that represents our collective vision for the future. See the results of the Library’s work to date at www.spl.org/future.
In the introductory message to the report, Fay and Library Board President Carmen Bendixen acknowledged the efforts of Library staff in driving these accomplishments. “They’ve launched and restarted programs and services, managed complex change, forged partnerships and provided extraordinary, compassionate service to our patrons every day,” Fay and Bendixen wrote.
MORE INFORMATION
The Seattle Public Library brings people, information and ideas together to enrich lives and build community. Contact the Library by email or chat at www.spl.org/ask or by phone at 206-386-4636. Staff are ready to answer questions and direct you to helpful resources and information.