Siouxland Libraries Reports Growth and Community Usage

Published on August 21, 2024

Libraries Highlight Summer Success and Back-to-School Readiness

Siouxland Libraries announced today a substantial growth in library usage across multiple key performance indicators for so far in 2024. The library system, serving Sioux Falls and Minnehaha County, has experienced growth in areas such as digital circulation, meeting room and study room bookings, and overall visitor numbers.

Key highlights from January 1, 2024, to July 31, 2024, include a 35.3 percent increase in meeting room bookings, a 78 percent increase in study room utilization, and a 32.7 percent increase in digital material checkouts. Additionally, library visits have reached nearly half a million.

“Sioux Falls is a growing community,” Jodi Fick, Director of Siouxland Libraries, said. “As our community grows, so do we.”

Fick says the library system’s dedication to providing diverse programming and engaging digital content has contributed to this success. 

Siouxland Libraries also shared results from the 2024 Summer Reading Program. This year the system saw over 5,000 participants log their reading. This year’s completion rate was 56 percent, which is a 10 percent increase from last year. 

“This annual program promotes reading for all ages throughout the summer, especially for elementary students,” Jeri Light, Adult Program Team Lead, said. “This program combats summer reading loss by encouraging reading through reading logs and prizes, enriching programming, and fun experiences.”

As the new school year approaches, Siouxland Libraries supports students of all ages with a wide range of resources. Siouxland Libraries offers digital materials, study spaces, and educational programs, free with a library card.

“With the school year starting, we want to remind families that a library card is the best school supply,” Light said.

More information about library services and programs can be found at siouxlandlib.org.