Your Library Wrapped 2023

As the year comes to a close, it’s time to reflect on our Library journey together in 2023! Taking a page from Spotify Wrapped, we’re highlighting moments from our many literary adventures together, including our most borrowed materials, digital resources, and standout stats.  

Read on to see how this year stacked up.

Our collections caught your eye 

Fun fact! Canadian true crime books, and local true crime in particular, are popular with our readers. This year, some of the popular local titles include: Mommy Don’t by Sherri Aikenhead, 22 Murders by Paul Palango, A Mother’s Betrayal by John Elliott, Blood in the Water by Silver Donald Cameron, and More Maritime Murders by Steve Vernon. 

• Speaking of lists, we put plenty of them together to inspire your next read! These were our most popular Staff Lists, opens a new window of the year:                            
  • 50 Most Borrowed Fiction Books of 2023 (So Far), opens a new window 
  • Top 10 Best Seth Godin's Books You Must Read!, opens a new window 
  • Fall Fiction 2023, opens a new window 

• You called, we delivered! This year, we did 785 H, opens a new windowome Deliveries., opens a new window
• At the Library, we're all connected—we processed a whopping 3215 Interlibrary Loans, opens a new window.

Our E-Library unlocked endless adventures 

• Read on for your OverDrive, opens a new window favourites, expanded:
  • Top-borrowed e-books:                             
    • The Last Goodnight, by Kat Martin 
    • Murder in an Irish Village, by Carlene O’Connor 
    • The Second Mrs. Astor, by Shana Abe 
  • Top-borrowed audiobooks:                            
    • The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, by Mark Manson   
    • The Guest List, by Lucy Foley 
    • Becoming, by Michelle Obama 
  • Top-borrowed e-magazines:                             
    • The New Yorker
    • HELLO! Magazine 
    • US Weekly

• You hopped on hoopla, opens a new window to binge-watch these popular series:                            
  • From the Cradle to the Grave 
  • Shroud for a Nightingale 
  • Bereft Woman 
• And Kanopy, opens a new window took your love for cinema to a whole other level:                            
  • Venus 
  • Aviva 
  • 9 Songs 
• These classic blog posts had you coming back for more:                            
  • Celebrating Eid al-Fitr: History, Traditional Foods, and a Recipe, opens a new window 
  • Jood’s Brief History of Makeup, opens a new window 
  • 7 Benefits of E-Reading, opens a new window

Social media moments took stage

• We enjoyed creating our iconic Instagram REELS, opens a new window—our Library Staff are such superstars!  These were our most viewed videos:

• Our top-played trivia on Instagram Stories was From Page to Screen, with 161 players. 
• Your favourite 2023 video on our YouTube, opens a new window channel, Bill Oakey's Mega Domino Topple at Halifax Central Library - May 2022, opens a new window, with 1,881 views—there’s no topping this toppling fun! 

From January to October, these popular programs wowed the crowds 

• Adults, opens a new window: George Elliott Clarke Presents: 5 Poets Breaking Into Song (#8), with 394 attendees. 
• Kids/Preschoolers, opens a new window: Zak: Dompteur de Defís - Le Spectacle Officiel de la Zone Jeunesse de Radio-Canada, with 385 attendees. 
• Teens, opens a new window: Glass Slipper Organization Prom Dress Giveaway, with 113 attendees. 
• Top-attended program overall: Sackville Concert Band with the 9AM Community Band, with 550 attendees.

At the Library, we're all about people  

• From January to October, we had 2.25 million people come through our doors.

That's a wrap! Thank you for making 2023 a year to remember—see you in 2024. 

Video 

Part of the fun is looking back at past years to see how they compare. Revisit Your Library Wrapped 2021, opens a new window, and Your Library Wrapped 2022, opens a new window!