What Did Arlington Readers Check Out This Year?
2024 was another excellent year for Arlington readers. From history to genre fiction, paper books to eAudio, Arlington reads a lot! While Arlington enjoys a wide range of titles, there were still a few, that it seems like, everyone was reading.
Here is a breakdown of the top adult, kids and young adult titles.
Three titles had more than 4,000 checkouts this year:
- "The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store," by James McBride
- "Tom Lake," by Ann Patchett
- "The Women," by Kristin Hannah
“Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros was on last year’s list and saw over 3,500 checkouts in 2024. The sequel, “Iron Flame” also made the top 20 this year, with almost 2,500 checkouts. Place your holds now—the third book in the series, “Onyx Storm” comes out in January.
The most popular teen read was the Hunger Games prequel, "Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes." Keep your eyes out for the sequel, "Sunrise on the Reaping," which comes out next spring. "A Court of Thorn and Roses" by Sarah J. Maas stays on the list and the "Throne of Glass" series has two titles in the top five most checked-out young adult books.
Our younger readers couldn't get enough of "Wimpy Kid."
In addition to the new Rebecca Yarros and Hunger Games books, next summer will see new releases by Arlington favorites, Emily Henry and R. F. Kuang.
"As we celebrate our collective reading in 2024, we are grateful to be of service to the Arlington community and library patrons with exciting book services, author programs, storytimes and ever-expanding diverse collections," said Rebecca Case, Acting Division Chief, Collections and Access, Arlington Public Library.
Of course, there are always great books that don’t get the buzz and popularity and sometimes go missed on our shelves.
Curious about which releases you might have missed this year? We have a curated list from our 2024 catalog of great titles that could be included on your reading list.
Always free. Always open. Always reading!
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Your Favorite eCollection Resources
Remember, our collection goes beyond books—including many eCollections that you can access from anywhere free with your library card!
Arlington's favorites for 2024 included digital newspaper and magazine access from PressReader, Flipster and Libby, streaming videos from Kanopy, online courses from LinkedIn Learning, language learning from Mango, consumer and investing resources like Consumer Reports and Value Line, O'Reilly's technology and business resources and interactive children’s books from Bookflix.
As the gatherer of community resources and information, Career Compass would be the connective fiber between Arlingtonians and their next career step—big or small, paid or unpaid. Career Compass reflects the library's role in how Arlingtonians think about investing in themselves and their career over the long term, especially serving those who may not otherwise have access to career counseling services.
Arlington Public Library would curate a Student Union space for teens age 13-19 across Arlington to conduct everything from academic activities such as tutoring, homework and test prep to casual activities like gaming, reading and playing with new technology—plus organized opportunities to promote civic and community engagement. The space itself will celebrate and reflect the academic and creative expressions of Arlington teens by working closely with Arlington Public Schools (APS) and other community organizations to gather and catalogue student artwork, academic reports and DIY projects.
The Kids Zone would be a dedicated literacy area where kids (ages 0 to 5) can be kids—making noise and creative messes encouraged! Having kids space that is a mix between storytime, an arts-and-crafts room and a playground could promote early literacy learning for kids in a highly interactive and social way. The Kids Zone could also support caretakers in finding spaces that would allow their kids to unapologetically act their age and support their caretaking needs.
Arlington Public Library would be the best Third Place Space—a social space outside work and home—where residents of all ages could feel a part of the community, find their people, experience serendipitous interactions and conduct passive activities like lounging and browsing. This space would allow library patrons to foster community engagement through events including workshops, book clubs and movie nights organized by the library and other organizations.
As our local communities become more internationally-oriented, Citizens of the World would be Arlington’s portal to the globe. This program would connect residents to holistic local and international opportunities to build multi-lingual skills, learn about cultures and increase appreciation for our community’s diversity.
Convertible Kit-Carts take the idea of a "library cart" to a new level. The Kit-Carts would be portable, adaptable stations used by County staff to bring innovative library services into non-library spaces such as malls, hospital lobbies or community plazas. This concept would offer customized services and resources specifically designed for certain spaces.
Arlington has one of the highest populations of remote workers in the nation. Remote Work Space would build utilities that are attractive to remote workers—from lendable technology and tools to co-working tables and phone call booths—and could make Arlington Public Library the best destination for this segment of our community.
"My Library Does What?" would bring the library on the road via a mobile truck to reach residents in their neighborhoods and challenge their perception of what the library offers. The library truck will have nontraditional branding, which will allow residents to rediscover what the library could mean to them.
Whether it's encouraging people to meet for the first time or supporting connection between those with similar interests, the library would become a 21st-century version of Arlington's Town Square by encouraging community-building beyond scheduled library program time. A digital platform could provide community-based content and groups to join, real-time tracking of events and security and moderation.
Appetite for Learning would be a hands-on curriculum that builds skills in nutrition, cooking and sustainability through various community engagements. This would provide high-value, continuous learning opportunities for all, improve nutritional and environmental outcomes and embrace Arlington’s multicultural community.
Borrow an Expert would connect patrons with an expert for popular community needs as well as niche topics and hobbies. From technology support to everything about Taylor Swift, residents could book time with an expert or sign up to share their own knowledge with the community. Arlingtonians would have access to specialized resources and build community bonds through knowledge-sharing.
Community Collective would create opportunities for people from all walks of life—from Arlington newcomers to longtime residents—to meet, build bonds, share stories and create multigenerational communities. From cozy coffee meet-ups to lively park picnics, Arlingtonians would get to know their neighbors and engage in dialogue on various life topics in a safe space.
Circulation topped 1.5 million in Overdrive/Libby in FY24, a significant 39% increase over the previous year.
Patrons placed more than 1.2 million holds, a 20% increase over the previous year.
Arlington Public Library purchased 7,200+ additional print copies of items because of high patron print holds.
We had a 110% increase in form-based book recommendation requests.
Our librarians received 4,826 patron suggestions for purchase, a 33% increase over the previous year.
The Library did a refresh project for the Detention Center collection, during which we purchased 1,200+ new items for their collection.
Our board games and puzzles collection, a great way to encourage fun and social interaction, circulated 7,500+ times.
