The Lee-Itawamba Library System celebrates a record year
The numbers are in — staff at the Lee-Itawamba Library System are celebrating a record year of program attendance and other key performance indicators measuring the library's impact and success over the past twelve months. It has been a busy year, characterized by what Executive Director Philip Shackelford describes as a 'meaningful transition.'
'It has been a great year,' he said. 'We brought in new leadership, welcomed new board members, and began a process of intentional evaluation and adjustment focused on enhancing the organizational health of our system,' he continued. 'The wide range of activities and adjustments that we have carried out this year are designed to position our library for growth, to take advantage of important opportunities, and continue to serve the people of our communities to the best of our ability.'
And the numbers are impressive. In November the library held its first ever Convocation—a special event bringing together the entire library team, the Administrative Board of Trustees, the Lee County Library Foundation Board of Directors, and the Friends of the Lee County Library Board of Directors—to discuss key performance indicators, explore the library's new strategic plan, and celebrate important milestones and accomplishments achieved by the library team. Among those accomplishments was a record-breaking year for the system's summer reading program, a popular initiative offered every year by libraries across the country.
'We always have a fantastic time during the Summer Reading Program and this year was no exception,' said Grace Guntharp, youth services manager at the Lee County Library. 'We love investing in the community with this program by becoming part of families' weekly summertime routine.'
The more than 3,000 individuals who participated in summer reading activities across the system's locations this summer make up part of the more than 11,000 individuals who attended library programs throughout the year—a 37% increase over program attendance in FY 2023. In addition, more than 2,400 people utilized library meeting space for their own gatherings. Overall, the system welcomed an estimated 134,000 library visits in FY 2024, representing a 3% increase over last year.
These and other metrics are submitted to the Mississippi Library Commission each year by Bonnie Gaines, administrative assistant at the Lee County Library. 'I am happy that our stats show that our library is utilized by our community,' she observed. 'The library has something for everyone.'
Philip Shackelford agreed. 'Connecting with our community is among the most important work that we do,' he said, 'and we have been blessed by the passionate and stalwart support of friends, partners, and patrons throughout our communities. Working together, libraries and library teams are capable of GREAT things.'
Economic impact and community growth are two concepts that Shackelford mentions often, and with good reason. By checking out library materials—instead of purchasing those materials on their own elsewhere—patrons of the Lee-Itawamba Library System saved more than $2.2 million dollars in FY 2024. 'That is tremendous,' Shackelford said. 'That money is not going to Amazon, online retailers, or any other big box store,' he continued. 'Those dollars are staying right here in our community and in the pockets of our patrons, giving them greater purchasing power for other goods and services in Lee and Itawamba County and throughout our communities. What a great example of the positive economic impact that our libraries bring.'
Another area of positive impact for the library is technology. More than 12,000 sessions were logged on the library system's public computers this year, with more than 89,000 pages printed and more than 21,000 visits to the library's new website—just since its launch earlier this spring. Library patrons also enjoy access to the library's eBook and digital streaming platforms—Boundless and Hoopla Digital—with more than 28,000 streams and downloads, representing a 38% increase over FY 2023.
The most dramatic increase, however, came with the more than 177,000 Wi-Fi sessions logged on the system's public networks—an increase of more than 200% over FY 2023. 'More than 20% of the population across the State of Mississippi does not have Internet access at home,' Shackelford observed. 'Our library stands as a valuable place where folks can do research, apply for jobs, and get information about other resources and services that they need.'
The library's physical collection is heavily used as well. More than 157,000 materials were borrowed by patrons over the course of FY 2024—an increase of 3.3% over last year—with physical books representing almost 87% of that number. In addition, the system provided more than 300 interlibrary loans to other libraries for patrons living in other areas. With the library's reference staff logging more than 6,000 reference interactions—the range of so-called 'traditional' library offerings and services are alive and well.
'As we look ahead to the future,' Shackelford observed, 'we are confident in the value that our library system provides and in the potential growth that we can support in our community. Modern libraries are strong partners in the communities that they serve,' he continued, 'maximizing resources and promoting opportunity, which positively impacts the local economy and quality of life. We know this. We understand this. Looking ahead, our aim is to remain people-focused as we refresh, redesign, and reinvigorate our libraries.'
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