BV readers borrow over 13k books in 2024
This year, the Buena Vista Public Library had 59,984 total checkouts spanning every category, from classic fiction and non-fiction to kids’ books, DVDs and games. Of those checkouts, 13,733 were adult fiction or nonfiction titles. At BVPL, adult services coordinator Sarah Greenberg said fiction is consistently more popular than nonfiction. This year, the most popular fiction titles at the BVPL were:“The Women” by Kristin Hannah“Three-Inch Teeth” by C.J. Box“A Calamity of Souls” by David Baldacci“Lost Birds” by Anne Hillerman“Tom Lake” by Ann Patchett“James” by Percival Everett“A Death in Cornwall” by Daniel Silva“Funny Story” by Emily Henry“Camino Ghosts” by John Grisham“First Lie Wins” by Ashley Elston“Scorched” by Buena Vista author Cam TorrensThe top non-fiction titles were: “A Walk in the Park” by Kevin Fedarko“The Backyard Bird Chronicles” by Amy Tan“Force of Nature: Three Women Tackle the John Muir Trail” by Joan M. Griffin“The Anxious Generation” by Jonathan Haidt“Nuclear War: A Scenario” by Annie Jacobsen“Age of Revolutions” by Fareed Zakaria“ADUs: The Perfect Housing Solution” by Sheri Koone“Everyone Who is Gone is Here” by Jonathan Blitzer“Reading Colorado” by Peter Anderson“Left for Dead: Shipwreck, Treachery, and Survival at the Edge of the World” by Eric Jay DolinAll but three of the top books were published in 2024. “Force of Nature” (Sept. 28), “Reading Colorado” (May 15), and “Tom Lake” (Aug. 1) were released in 2023. Readers check out nearly 10k fiction titlesReaders checked out 9,861 adult fiction titles and 4,052 adult nonfiction titles. Patrons also borrowed 9,952 items through Marmot and Prospector. “We might own copies of these items as well,” Greenberg said. “The holds queue is a complicated algorithm.”Denver Public Library had a similar list for most checked-out fiction, with “The Women” at no. 2, “Tom Lake” at no. 4, and “Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros at no. 5.The nonfiction list, however, differed greatly from BV, including “I’m Glad My Mom Died” by Jenette McCurdy at no. 1, “Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning” by Liz Cheney at no. 3, and “The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War” by Erik Larson at no. 5. Salida readers’ preferred titles also differed from BV. The Salida Regional Library’s top checked-out titles for 2024 were “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus at no. 1, “Demon Copperhead” by Barbara Kingsolver at no. 2, “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin at no. 3, “Storm Watch” by C.J. Box at no. 4, and “Tom Lake” and “The Bill of Obligations: The 10 Habits of Good Citizens” by Richard Haass tied for fifth. For non-fiction specifically, Salidans checked out “Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet” by Ben Goldfarb most frequently, followed by Haass’ “The Bill of Obligations,” “Atomic Habits” by James Clear, “Italy” by Rick Steves, and “The Sensual Home” by Ilse Crawford.BV Library staff carefully examine circulation statistics to guide purchasing decisions. For the bestseller “The Women,” the Library purchased three hardbacks, one large print copy, and multiple digital copies. “We look at the ratio of holds to the number of copies, for example, and buy multiple copies of popular titles to help meet demand,” Greenberg said. “Our library copies circulate first to Buena Vista patrons, even when there are holds from other libraries. We pay attention to which genres and authors are popular in Buena Vista as well as forthcoming titles garnering critical acclaim.”The Salida Regional Library runs weekly reports to see which items are most popular and purchase multiple copies of items on hold for many patrons, whether as hard copies or electronic resources. “The popular titles also represent the type of materials patrons like to read, so it helps inform us as to what genres to focus on in the future,” said Salida Library director Susan Matthews. “But the lists are only a small part of how we choose materials.”Nonfiction reads in BV and Salida can also reflect local goings-on. “I think the popularity of the ADU book speaks to the ongoing issue of affordable housing, particularly in small mountain towns,” Greenberg said. “‘Force of Nature’ was a surprise hit, not on a national bestseller list. It makes sense as a popular local read since Buena Vista is such an active, outdoor-focused town with an epic thru-hike in our backyard.”“When a book is being read by a book club or if Colorado Mountain College or the Area Agency on Aging is having a community read, then we see an uptick in certain nonfiction books being in high demand,” Matthews said. County’s libraries see ‘increase in library usage’ each yearWhile the BV Library does not track circulation by demographic, over the last few years the largest share of new cardholders are between the ages of 31 and 40. “That’s a big shift from the retirees that historically comprised the Library’s largest user demographic,” Greenberg said. The BV Library also purges accounts with no activity within 3 years to capture a better representation of current patrons. Greenberg reports that cardholder statistics have held steady in recent years at around 5,000, except in 2024. “We’re ending the year with over 600 more cardholders over 2023,” she said, “which may be attributed to increased awareness of library services during our ballot initiative last year, the attraction of additional classes and materials made possible by the mill levy increase, outreach efforts, and a spike in digital users.”The Salida Library’s children’s library continues to see the heaviest circulation numbers as families may check out a dozen books to read in a short period. Beyond that, Salida librarians “definitely see an increase in library usage each year,” Matthews said. BVPL anticipates new releasesLooking to the new year, BVPL is gearing up for several new releases. “We already have lots of holds for ‘Onyx Storm’ by Rebecca Yarros, coming out on January 21, 2025, and the new C.J. Box book ‘Battle Mountain,’ coming out on February 25,” Greenberg said. “Suzanne Collins has a new prequel in the Hunger Games series called ‘Sunrise on the Reaping.’ That will be published on March 18.”Other fiction to look forward to in 2025 includes “We Do Not Part” from Nobel Prize-winning author Han Kang, “Last Twilight in Paris” by Pam Jenoff, “My Friends” by Fredrik Backman, “We All Live Here” by Jojo Moyes, and a new Emily Henry book, “Great Big Beautiful Life.” Salida library staff recommendations can be found at www.salidalibrary.org/what-to-read-next/“For nonfiction, some big 2025 titles include ‘Everything is Tuberculosis’ by John Green, ‘Is A River Alive?’ by Robert Macfarlane, a new biography of Mark Twain by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Ron Chernow, and a memoir from Markus Zusak, author of ‘The Book Thief’ (2006), called ‘Three Wild Dogs (and the Truth),’” Greenberg said. “For anyone interested in power struggles in the 21st century Wild West, check out ‘The Crazies: the Cattleman, the Wind Prospector, and a War Out West’ by Amy Gamerman.”
