By Laura Michell
More than 671,000 items were borrowed from Hume’s libraries in 2020-21, including close to 30,000 items which were delivered to homes during lockdowns.
Hume Libraries recorded an increase in new library members, digital borrowings and social media followers between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021, a report to last week’s council meeting revealed.
Hume Libraries Express – the libraries’ home delivery service launched in response to the pandemic- resulted in the delivery of 28,921 items to 2452 households during that period, the report stated.
A further 3248 customers collected 13,676 click and collect items.
Councillor Carly Moore described the home delivery service as “amazing”.
“You call the library and you say what age your child is, what kind of books that they like to read, and the library staff will go through and they will select the books for you,” she said.
“I think it is absolutely amazing just … how well they have been able to adapt and to continue to be able to provide literacy resources to our children who absolutely are struggling without them.”
According to the report, 360,700 people visited Hume’s libraries in 2020-21- down 39.9 per cent from 2019-20 as a result of three separate lockdowns.
The report said Hume Libraries’ Facebook page had the most followers of any single council public library Facebook page in Victoria in 2020-21, with the number of followers growing by 38 per cent from the previous 12 months.
Cr Jarrod Bell said the report demonstrated Hume Libraries’ commitment to lifelong learning.
“… Our libraries continue to provide our community with access to services, support, education and employment opportunities,” he said.
Most borrowed children’s books
Dog Man: Grime and punishment by Dav Pilkey (231 loans)
WeirDo 15: Planet weird! by Anh Do (196 loans)
WeirDo 14: Vote WeirDo! by Anh Do (182 loans)
Most borrowed youth books
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins (190 loans)
Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer (158 loans)
Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas (129 loans)
Most borrowed adult book
The Survivors by Jane Harper (327 loans)
The Godmothers by Monica McInerney (196 loans)
The Sentinel by Lee Child (188 loans)
