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Monroe County Public Library reports rising visits and digital use in 2025 annual report
Summary
The Monroe County Public Library reported increased registered users, higher physical and digital circulation, and a jump in programs and attendance for 2025 while total paid staff and physical holdings declined; the board was told a new trustee appointment and partnerships will shape services.
The Monroe County Public Library reported stronger overall engagement in 2025, with registered users, circulation and program activity increasing even as the system reduced paid staff and trimmed physical holdings.
According to the director’s summary presented to the Board of Trustees on June 17, 2026, total registered users at the end of 2025 reached 56,350, up from 55,446 in 2024. Physical circulation rose to 1,373,953 checkouts, and digital circulation climbed to 923,462. The library ran 3,749 in-person and virtual programs in 2025 with total program attendance of 56,873; annual visits to all MCPL locations were reported at 629,591.
The director told trustees these trends reflect a continuing shift toward digital services and high staff engagement in programming. The report showed total paid staff of 167 at the end of 2025, down from 174 the previous year; the director said the change is partly the result of an FTE reduction plan carried out through attrition and promised an FTE update in July.
The annual report, prepared for submission to the Indiana State Library, also noted a decline in physical holdings to 391,513 items from 437,293 in 2024, which the director linked to strategic collection and increased digital access. The board packet included the full report and highlighted work to integrate selected Hoopla digital records into the public catalog so patrons can find licensed digital content alongside physical titles.
The director also flagged partnerships and services that staff and trustees described as notable. A diversion and prevention case manager from Heading Home of South Central Indiana is stationed at the downtown library to help people at risk of homelessness access resources; the director said that case manager, identified in the meeting as Shaquille, will present to the board later in the year along with Elizabeth Gray. Trustees praised the report’s organization and the staff effort behind it.
The director announced that the Monroe County Commissioners appointed Rebecca (Becky) Hill to the board; Hill is expected to attend the July meeting following orientation. The director also said the library’s bookmobile is under construction and expected in early fall.
The board did not take formal action on the annual report itself during the June meeting; trustees discussed the findings and expressed appreciation for staff work that produced the higher program numbers and increased digital circulation.
What’s next: the director said a fuller FTE reduction update is scheduled for the July meeting, and staff will present on the library’s partnership with Heading Home later in the year.
