GREENFIELD — Things are hopping at the Hancock County Public Library.
Director Dave Gray recently shared a report disclosing the latest numbers on activity at the library’s branches in Greenfield and New Palestine, as well as the traveling bookmobile.
According to Gray, the county’s library ranked seventh in annual visits among the 238 library districts in the state, despite ranking only 24th in district size.
“That’s especially impressive if you consider our population as compared to the population in those other districts,” said Gray.
The Hancock County Public Library district ranks 12th in the state, with a population just over 64,200.
The Indianapolis Public Library, on the other hand, has a population of just over 963,000, while the 11th biggest district — Porter County Public Library — has a population of roughly 152,600.
In addition to ranking seventh for annual visits, the Hancock County Public Library also ranked 11th in electronic circulation and 12th in overall circulation in 2023.
Gray said the strong numbers were a great indication of how valued the library is in the community.
More than 461,000 total patron visits were made in 2023.
An estimated 376,000 visits were made to the Greenfield branch, while an estimated 67,000 visits were made at the Sugar Creek Branch in New Palestine throughout the year. Another 17,700 visits were made through the library’s bookmobile.
Nearly 16,000 people attended a library program at some point throughout the year.
In addition to traffic at the library, Gray said the county’s Imagination Library program is also growing steadily.
At the end of last year more than 2,750 youngsters were enrolled in the program — which sends an age-appropriate book to all Hancock County children each month, from birth to age 5.
More than 2,040 children have already graduated out of the program, a national initiative founded by Dolly Parton to instill a love of reading in kids.
Gray said he looks forward to another busy year at the local library, which will undergo some major enhancements this year.
The Greenfield branch acquired a new sorting system and marketing software this month, and is looking to replace boilers in the summer and a chiller in the winter. Both branches will be upgrading self-checkout stations in August and September.
“We’re anticipating another great year,” said Gray.
