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Tigard Public Library reports increased visitors, program growth and new services
Summary
Library Director Halstead Bernard and the library board told the council that visits, program attendance and new services rose in 2024; highlights include expanded bestseller collection, a seed library, a reservable technology room, and a social-services coordinator.
The Tigard Public Library presented its annual joint report to the City Council on April 22, saying visitor counts and program use increased and the library expanded services and facilities, including a reservable technology room and a seed library.
“Whether you visit for a good book, helpful services, or to connect with your community, you are welcome here,” Library Director Halstead Bernard said in the presentation video and remarks summarizing 2024 activity.
Key figures in the library’s report included a 5 percent increase in visitors from 2023 to 2024, nearly 3,000 new library cards, 869 new student cards issued to Tigard-Tualatin School District students, and more than 733 programs offered with attendance growth totaling approximately 4,900 additional program participants compared with the prior year. Staff added 19,309 items to the collection and reported about an 80,000 increase in item checkouts year over year.
The library also highlighted new or expanded services: a social-services coordinator stationed at the branch to help connect patrons with community resources; a community seed library that distributed roughly 1,500 seed packets to 420 households in its first nine months; the Opportunity Café and small-business partnerships in the building’s public-facing space; and a technology room that recorded 1,131 reservations in its first 10 months.
Library leaders noted ongoing collaborations with schools—more than 10,000 TTSD students have access to library services—and partnerships with Friends of Trees on plantings behind the library. The library ran 1,108 tax-preparation appointments in 2024 and hosted a range of children’s and adult programs.
Why it matters: The library is positioning itself as a community hub for services beyond lending materials, including social services, technology access, workforce and small-business support, and food- and seed-distribution programs.
What’s next: Library board members asked the council to continue supporting staff and facilities as WCCLS funding and facility needs evolve; they also said the library plans community engagement around its next strategic plan through 2026.
