Fewer people are walking through the doors of Windsor Public Library branches this year, but overall customer use continues to grow. A new report going before the library board Tuesday shows gate counts are down four per cent year-to-date, along with a four per cent decline in physical checkouts. However, the library’s digital customer use index has risen 15 per cent, helping drive total customer interactions up nine per cent overall. Board chair Mark McKenzie said the library has been investing more resources in reaching users outside its physical branches. “Definitely some good showings with our digital and with our website, and honestly, it’s because it’s something that the board has been talking about for the past few years now, is saying let’s have some dedicated employees just for our digital branch,” McKenzie said. The report shows website and social media use is up 23 per cent year-to-date, while e-resources accounted for 59 per cent of August circulation. Some neighbourhood branches are also seeing significant increases in foot traffic. Fontainebleau’s gate count is up 44 per cent year-to-date, while Seminole is up 15 per cent. McKenzie said Seminole has maintained a strong connection with residents despite historically lower visitor numbers. “It’s one of those branches that the neighbourhood really loves. It’s our least attended branch, but they do offer some really unique things like a seed library there and some other cool things. So it’s nice to see the numbers at Seminole go up,” he said. McKenzie is also predicting an increase in physical attendance following the relocation of the Central Branch. “We’ve seen a huge increase in numbers there already compared to the previous branch, which was the Paul Martin building. So I think that’s also going to increase numbers by a large amount. It’s just more accessible and it’s a nicer space, and it’s closer to a lot of people already. It’s closer to a lot of those homes around the Glengarry area,” McKenzie said. The figures before the board only run through August and do not yet capture activity at the new Central Branch, which opened in September. A separate report says the new Central Branch recorded 1,955 visits over 10 days between Sept. 24 and Oct. 4.
