Study: Digital Offerings Driving Library’s Growth

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

A new study by the Anderson County Library found a rising number of digital items checked out and a continued increase in library card holders.

“We found that people are actually checking out more items now than they were 10 years ago,” said Anderson County Library Director Annie Sutton. “And the big increase there is the digital use of eBooks and audiobooks.”

Sutton said the library’s digital collection was so popular that many residents who have moved away from Anderson pay an annual fee for a library card to retain access to the collection.

Sutton said that while more than 100,000 county residents have valid library cards (they require renewal every two years), her goal is to see that number continue to increase.

“We have more and more people moving here and we want them to come in and get library cards,” said Sutton, adding the library will continue to reach out and share information with those who may not be aware of the library’s offerings.

Here's a summary of information from the recent study:

Total Circulation (All Locations Combined):

Shows a general trend with fluctuations.

Circulation was around 690,000 in FY 15-16, dropped in FY 19-20 to around 620,000, and increased significantly to nearly 900,000 in FY 24-25.

Total Circulation (Location Breakout):

Main branch consistently has the highest circulation, reaching approximately 300,000 in FY 23-24 and over 300,000 in FY 24-25.

Digital Checkouts have seen a dramatic increase, becoming a major component of total circulation, especially in recent fiscal years, approaching 350,000 in FY 24-25.

Other branches (Belton, Honea Path, Iva, Lander, Pendleton, Piedmont, Powdersville, Westside, Bookmobile) show varied circulation numbers, generally lower than the Main branch and Digital Checkouts.

Computer Usage (All Locations Combined):

Showed a significant decrease from over 130,000 in FY 15-16 to under 30,000 in FY 24-25.

New Library Cards (All Locations Combined):

Started around 7,800 in FY 15-16 and fluctuated, ending with over 10,000 in FY 24-25.

Wireless Users (All Locations Combined):

Peaked around 60,000 in FY 16-17 and then declined, but saw a rebound from FY 20-21 to over 30,000 in FY 24-25.

Total Attendance (All Locations Combined):

Showed a decrease from nearly 500,000 in FY 15-16 to a low in FY 20-21 (likely due to the pandemic), then rebounded to nearly 400,000 in FY 24-25.

Total Attendance (Location Breakout):

The Main branch consistently had the highest attendance, reaching over 250,000 in FY 15-16 before a significant drop and subsequent recovery to around 150,000 in FY 24-25.

Other branches show varying attendance figures.

Digital Checkouts (All Platforms Combined):

Shows a consistent and strong upward trend, starting around 100,000 in FY 15-16 and growing to approximately 350,000 in FY 24-25.

Platforms include OverDrive, Hoopla, and Kanopy (added late September 2022).