Book-lover boom: Wollongong City Libraries records more than a million loans

Wollongong City Libraries saw a borrowing boom in 2024, with more than a million loans recorded across its seven locations.

Some 1,002,330 books, audiobooks, DVDs, CDs and magazines were borrowed this year, the equivalent of 3319 items every working day, with reservations and digital loans also increasing.

“It’s been a wonderful year for reading, and these figures show that we’re kicking goals when it comes to delivering the dynamic, customer-driven and inclusive library collection that our community wants,” Wollongong City Council’s director of community services Kerry Hunt said.

Australian authors took out the top three spots for popular loans in the adult fiction category, with Kate Morton’s Homecoming claiming the crown of Wollongong’s most borrowed book, with 1620 loans, followed by Pip Williams’ The Bookbinder of Jericho and Trent Dalton’s Lola in the Mirror.

More than a year after its release, Prince Harry’s memoir Spare remains a favourite, borrowed 974 times and dominating the non-fiction category.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was the most popular junior fiction title borrowed, with the six other books from the series all making the top 12 in the category.

Stories by Anh Do and Andy Griffiths also occupied many spots in the rankings.

The library’s littlest members loved Bluey, Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler’s Have You Seen the Gruffalo?, and musician Josh Pyke & Ronojoy Josh’s Family Tree.

Dav Pilkey and Aaron Blabey also dominated the junior graphic novel section, with Dog Man and The Bad Guys series securing all 10 of the top spots.

For the older kids, Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper books took more than half the spots in the top 10 Adult and Young Adult Graphic Novel list.

But the libraries aren’t just for books.

“It’s heartening to see library members borrowing across so many different formats,” Kerry said. “Many customers tell us that they love to read a book at night but enjoy listening to audiobooks while in the garden or doing their daily chores.

“It doesn’t have to be one or the other.”

The movie phenomenon Barbie was the most borrowed DVD of the year and Taylor Swift’s Lover the most borrowed music CD.

With fans flocking to the Eras Tour early in the year, albums Fearless: Taylor’s Version, Speak Now: Taylor’s Version and Reputation also were in the top 10 borrowed CDs.

The full list of most borrowed books is available on Wollongong City Council’s website.

Early in 2024, the council adopted the Discover, Learn, Connect – Wollongong City Libraries Strategy 2024 – 2028, which outlines plans for the service to grow and adapt to meet community needs.

“Our libraries are the heart of the community and we want to see everyone using and benefitting from this great free service, especially when people are feeling the squeeze of the cost-of-living crisis,” Lord Mayor Tania Brown said.

“If you haven’t stepped foot in a library for a few years, come on by. You might be surprised by what’s on offer, it’s free and easy to join, and, maybe best of all, there are no late fees.”

And if you would prefer to buy rather than borrow, Wollongong City Libraries’ Summer Book Sale is the perfect chance to bag a bargain.

The sale will be at Wollongong Library from Monday-Saturday, 13-25 January, with a range of adult, young adult and junior books, magazines and more. All books will be priced at just 50 cents each.

Proceeds from the sale will also go to Friends of Wollongong City Library, which helps to support vital literacy programs in the community.