Howard County residents are checking out more from the library again after a dip over the last few years. Borrowing peaked at 7.7 million items in 2021, fell to 6.7 million in 2023, and climbed back to 7.5 million in 2024.

The numbers are still below the library system’s 2025 target of 8.5 million, but the rebound involves some important shifts in how residents use the library.

For one, digital borrowing has nearly caught up with physical borrowing. Just a few years ago, most checkouts were physical books. Now, nearly half are digital. This mirrors a national trend: libraries across the U.S. saw electronic circulation climb sharply during COVID-19, with the typical state experiencing a 52% increase in per-person digital borrowing between 2018 and 2021.

At the same time, families are returning for in-person programs that slowed during the pandemic. Nearly 10,700 children under age five took part in summer reading in 2023 — a sixfold increase over the year before . Library events stretched beyond books: the STEAM Machine mobile classroom brought science and engineering lessons to more than 7,500 students, while Project Literacy supported over 1,000 adults with tutoring, high school diplomas, and pathways into jobs.

If the past year is any measure, people are finding their way back to the library in whichever form makes sense for them.