Partnerships Remain a Priority for Library

(Pixabay.com photo by Kollinger)

FY23 Community Impact Report Released

Partnerships continue to be a priority for the St. Mary’s County Library. In the FY23 Community Impact Report, library officials cited the many groups and organizations that have funded programs.

The Patuxent Partnership donated the funding to make two series of Citizen Science workshops possible. Blue Star Families offered the START Family Book Club for military families. The St. Mary’s County Arts Council funded a new art gallery at the Leonardtown Library and refurbished the Lexington Park Library Art Gallery. The Friends of St. Clement’s Bay completed the front yard garden at Leonardtown Library.

In partnership with St. Mary’s County Health Department and Healthy St. Mary’s Partnership, the library opened telehealth booths at Charlotte Hall and Lexington Park libraries to help individuals or small groups who need to meet virtually with a health provider to have some privacy. The booths are also a great option for people who need a quiet space to work and take phone calls.

Highlights in the report include:

• 1,039,565 items checked out and 168,514 digital items were checked out in FY23, an 11% increase over FY22.
• The library has 32,044 card users.
• The library added online access to Consumer Reports, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and Wowbrary.
• The library provides access to more than 60 online resources including Mango Languages, test preparation and homework help services, and a variety of resources on topics such as genealogy (even Ancestry.com), hobbies, finance, and auto repair.
• 308,551 visitors came to one of the libraries in FY23.
• The library provided more than 1,400 free programs that nearly 30,000 people attended. Events included professional performances, classes on topics such as crafting, 3D printing, boating safety, archaeology, STEM, book discussions, children’s programs, and several nationally recognized experts and authors.
• Staff attended 125 outreach events and reached over 8,000 community members.
• In FY23, 1,855 groups used the free meeting rooms, and 4,741 individuals or groups used the study rooms.
• Leonardtown Library launched the Makerspace and has already had 1,182 visitors who have come in to use the Cricut Maker, 3D printer, large format printer, 3D pens, or other items in the makerspace.
• The computers had nearly 38,000 sessions logged, and the free WiFi was accessed nearly 20,000 times.

Read the entire report here.