County of SLO Public Libraries Release 2024-2025 Annual Report

Author: Erica Thatcher
Date: 11/20/2025 11:26 AM

Report highlights books, literacy, and the value of a library card

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County of San Luis Obispo, CA - County of San Luis Obispo Public Libraries is pleased to share its Annual Update for fiscal year 2024-2025.

The report showcases the library’s impact on literacy in San Luis Obispo County. The library provided more than 1200 story times and pre-kindergarten activities for families and almost 4,000 tutoring sessions that helped adults improve reading and writing skills.
The library continues to be a valued resource for books and reading in SLO County: Books in all formats were borrowed more than 1,400,000 times. And print is still the most popular format: 80% of books borrowed were print. Ebooks and eAudiobooks represented 20% of borrows.

“It’s often assumed that ebooks are the preferred format these days,” said Erica Thatcher, communications coordinator for the libraries. “But we don’t see that. I think people will continue to enjoy browsing in person and turning actual paper pages.”

Books were delivered to locations outside the libraries, like the county jail and senior living facilities. A weekly stop at a San Miguel school increased library book borrows “exponentially.”

The report also shows how the money households saved contributed to the economy. Active cardholders saved an average of $680 in 2024-2025 by borrowing instead of buying, which means they can use the savings to spend locally.

“We are looking at ways to make using the library more convenient for more people. We’d love for more families and residents to be able to use the library and get the savings benefits,” said Thatcher.

For information about County of San Luis Obispo Public Libraries and to read the full annual report, visit the SLOLibrary.org About Us page.