Fewer library visits, more people online: Windsor Public Library by the numbers
Fewer people are walking into Windsor Public Library branches this year, but more are using it online. Jan. to Aug.: visits down 4%, physical checkouts down 4%, website and social use up 23%, total use up 9%. Fontainebleau visits up 44%.
Topics: Community
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Windsor Public Library numbers going to the library board today show a split: fewer people walking into branches, more people using the library online.
The figures are in the usage statistics for August 2026 in the board's Oct. 20 meeting package. They compare January to August 2026 with the same months of 2025.
In the branches
Gate counts, the library's count of visits, are down 4% year to date, from 343,656 to 331,264. Physical checkouts are also down 4%.
Two branches bucked the trend. Fontainebleau visits are up 44% and Seminole is up 15%.
Online
Website and social media use is up 23%. The library's digital use index is up 15%. eResources made up 59% of all circulation in August.
Counting in-person and digital use together, total customer interactions are up 9%.
The new Central Branch
The numbers stop at August, so they do not include the new Central Branch at 400 City Hall Square, which opened in September. A separate CEO report says it recorded 1,955 visits from Sept. 24 to Oct. 4, over 10 days.
What it means for you
A library card covers more than books on a shelf. In August, more than half of what people borrowed was digital. The board meets today at 4:30 p.m. at 350 City Hall Square W., Room 140.
