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Wyoming branch library highlights summer reading, digital demand and outreach
Summary
Wyoming branch manager Maggie Kilman reported countywide library priorities, summer reading plans starting May 31, and rising demand for digital materials that now account for more than half of last year’s materials budget.
Maggie Kilman, branch manager of the Wyoming branch of the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library, presented a library update to the Wyoming City Council on May 20, summarizing branch activities, countywide services and the summer reading program that starts May 31.
Kilman described the branch’s focus on youth programming — including robust story times and after-school offerings for middle school students — and noted countywide priorities: investing in materials and next-generation facilities, workforce and legal assistance partnerships, and outreach such as the 513 Relief Bus. She said the branch distributes free books through the summer reading program and takes books to community events to increase household access to books.
Kilman provided systemwide figures for 2024: approximately 320 reading-focused events serving 11,756 kids and teens, an average of nearly 500 story times per month across the system, and 29,000 participants in the summer reading program (an 8% increase year over year). She discussed a growing shift to digital materials: 56% of the 2024 materials budget was spent on digital content, and eaudiobooks are notably costly to license — she said the library pays about $70 per eaudiobook that libraries typically own for two years versus about $15 for a consumer purchase — a factor that strains materials budgets.
Kilman outlined upcoming Wyoming branch activities including the May 31 summer reading kickoff and weekly youth programming. The presentation was informational; council did not take action on library funding at the meeting.
