Wylie Library reports steady circulation, high app use despite holiday dip in programs

The Wylie Library Advisory Board heard that circulation and digital-service use remained strong over the holiday period, even as in-person programs slowed.

Library staff reported that story time and other programs were lower between mid-December and mid-January because holiday scheduling reduces programing, but circulation and new card sign-ups continued. "Still got 497 new borrowers. That's really high," a library staff member said during the board's Jan. 27 meeting.

The report summarized statistics across platforms: the library app saw 983 distinct users, with new-device additions included in that figure; Libby (formerly OverDrive), Hoopla and Canopy streaming all showed continued engagement, with a small November–December dip staff attributed to holiday activity. The board asked for clarification of terms used in the app report; staff explained that "launches" refers to each time a user opens the app and "devices" counts unique devices.

Staff also noted a change to the language learning tools: "Pronunciator... took the place of Mango Languages," the staff member said, adding that Pronunciator started in October and staff are promoting it to patrons.

Board members and staff discussed outreach and reporting: staff said they plan to share monthly metrics more broadly with library staff so employees know program and circulation performance, and that social media—particularly Facebook—remains the top channel by which patrons learn about programs.

The board reviewed meeting and training highlights from the prior months, including staff participation in leadership and team-development programs. Staff described a 6-week artificial intelligence course taken by a staff member and noted the course has prompted cross-departmental discussion about whether the city needs AI guidelines or parameters for staff use of generative tools.