ACPL Shares 2024 Community Impact Report

The Allen County Public Library has released its 2024 Community Impact Report. The report, which utilizes data from the Library’s annual report to the Indiana State Library, reflects how the library system’s services and collection contributed to the education, literacy, access, and discovery in Allen County over the past year. 

In 2024, the ACPL welcomed more than 1.7 million visitors across its 14 locations. The Library also celebrated a healthy 14.1% of its budget going directly to building a robust collection of more than 3.9 million physical and digital items. This far exceeds the state standard of 8% and national average of 11%. Borrowing was up with an 8% increase over 2023 for a total of more than 4.6 million items borrowed. Among these were 1.5 million children’s items. Library program offerings were up as well with more than 6,700 in-person, virtual, and asynchronous programs that served 168,000 people.

“The impact of our library extends far beyond our walls—it's in the lives we touch, the programs that empower, and the welcoming space we create for learning and discovery.” said ACPL Executive Director Susan P. Baier. “’the community finds the resources and support it needs to thrive, regardless of age, background, or circumstance. The ACPL takes that responsibility seriously, and we are so grateful that you keep coming back year after year to support us in that work.”

Along with increased circulation and programming, the Library put extensive effort into welcoming new patrons into the library with its Limited-Edition Library Card campaign in early 2024 and a special partnership with the Fort Wayne TinCaps during National Library Card Sign Up month. These resulted in the addition of 24,000 new cardholders to the Library’s roster of patrons. At the end of 2024, the ACPL boasted 199,223 registered patrons representing 51% of Allen County residents.

The Library also put considerable effort into embracing new technology including the pilot of 24-7 holds lockers at its Dupont Branch. Over the course of the pilot year, 20,616 holds were placed in the lockers and the popularity led to not only additional lockers being installed at the Dupont location, but planned expansion at other locations in the years to come.

Beyond core functions of circulating books and signing people up for cards, the Library’s Access Fort Wayne, WELT, Special Collections, and Audio Reading Service programs all experienced growth and the Library’s newest initiative, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, experienced extensive growth by registering more than 5,000 children in 2024. This exceeded the Library’s goals and made the Allen County program the fastest-growing affiliate in the country for the month of December.

According to Baier, the annual report to the Indiana State Library provides an opportunity to reflect, mark successes, and hold the library accountable to its work year over year. It also measures the ACPL against other libraries across the state to ensure it is performing on par with peer libraries.

“There’s a popular Broadway song that asks ‘How do you measure a year?’ In my opinion, a library should be measuring in how it is impacting its community and in 2024, I think it is safe to say we really made a big impact. I’m so proud of our team, so appreciative of our Board, and so grateful to the Allen County community for their continued support year after year!” said Baier.

The annual Community Impact Report can be read in its entirety at www.acpl.lib.in.us/impact. The report arrives just in time for the 2025 National Library Week which kicks off April 6. The week is dedicated to celebrating libraries, librarians, and library workers.