2025 At DC Public Library, A Year of Daily Routines and New Discoveries

On Tuesday evenings at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 70 people gathered around mahjong tables. The tiles clacked as players, including office workers, retirees and students, learned Chinese and American styles of the game side by side. Many kept coming back, week after week.

It was one pattern among many that emerged across DC Public Library's 26 locations in 2025, a year when people walked through Library doors 3.2 million times and items were borrowed more than 6.2 million times.

Borrowing split nearly evenly between physical and digital formats. Hardcovers and paperbacks went home alongside ebooks, audiobooks and streaming videos. More than 1.1 million physical items left for a first checkout. Young readers checked out nine different Dav Pilkey titles in the top 10 juvenile books, while teens and young adults moved through Sarah J. Maas's fantasy series and returned repeatedly to Suzanne Collins. Adults borrowed Emily Henry's novels, Michelle Zauner's memoir and David Grann's historical narrative. Digital borrowers listened to "Braiding Sweetgrass" and "Pride and Prejudice," read "The Covenant of Water" and "The Handmaid's Tale," and streamed content through Kanopy.

The year's activity also showed up in how people used space, technology and staff expertise. Meeting rooms and study rooms were booked 78,247 times. Public computers hosted 623,906 sessions totaling 574,623 hours. People printed and copied nearly 3.2 million pages. Nearly 59,000 devices connected to Library Wi-Fi each month. Online, people took courses in Spanish, French and German through Mango Languages, worked through Excel and Python tutorials on LinkedIn Learning, and followed Creativebug classes in crochet, watercolor and sewing.

People found community in many ways. Some found it attending author talks and book discussions. Others joined the events as part of the Discover Summer program. Many came to visit the exhibitions on the Negro Motorist Green Book or the District's arts community. And on summer evenings, rooftop concerts linked the Library's People's Archive to punk and go-go music. Throughout the year, people read The New Yorker and The Economist, newspapers from The New York Times to El País, and streamed music from Louis Armstrong to SZA.

For many people in the District in 2025, the Library became part of regular life, a place to return to for different reasons at different times, whether that meant borrowing a book, using a computer, attending a workshop or finding community around a mahjong table on a Tuesday night.

 

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Adult Fiction Print

1. "The God of the Woods," by Liz Moore
2. "Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow," by Gabrielle Zevin
3. "All Fours," by Miranda July
4. "Funny Story," by Emily Henry
5. "The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store," by James McBride
6. "All the Colors of the Dark: A Novel," by Chris Whitaker
7. "Great Big Beautiful Life," by Emily Henry
8. "Intermezzo: A Novel," by Sally Rooney
9. "The Wedding People: A Novel," by Alison Espach
10. "Yellowface: A Novel," by R.F. Kuang

 

Adult Nonfiction Print

1. "Crying in H Mart: A Memoir," by Michelle Zauner
2. "The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder," by David Grann
3. "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents," by Isabel Wilkerson
4. "The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War," by Erik Larson
5. "The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness," by Jonathan Haidt
6. "The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917-2017," by Rashid Khalidi
7. "The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma," by Bessel A. van der Kolk
8. "I’m Glad My Mom Died," by Jennette McCurdy
9. "Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering," by Malcolm Gladwell
10. "Italy" (Lonely Planet), by Duncan Garwood

 

Juvenile Print

1. "The Scarlet Shedder," by Dav Pilkey
2. "Big Jim Begins," by Dav Pilkey
3. "Cat Kid Comic Club: Perspectives," by Dav Pilkey
4. "Hot Mess," by Jeff Kinney
5. "Grime and Punishment," by Dav Pilkey
6. "Mothering Heights," by Dav Pilkey
7. "For Whom the Ball Rolls," by Dav Pilkey
8. "Dog Man," by Dav Pilkey
9. "Cat Kid Comic Club: Collaborations," by Dav Pilkey
10. "Fetch-22," by Dav Pilkey

 

Young Adult Print

1. "Throne of Glass," by Sarah J. Maas
2. "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," by Suzanne Collins
3. "Sunrise on the Reaping," by Suzanne Collins
4. "The Hunger Games," by Suzanne Collins
5. "The Assassin’s Blade: The Throne of Glass Novellas," by Sarah J. Maas
6. "A Court of Thorns and Roses," by Sarah J. Maas
7. "Catching Fire," by Suzanne Collins
8. "Mockingjay," by Suzanne Collins
9. "A Court of Mist and Fury," by Sarah J. Maas
10. "Divine Rivals: A Novel," by Rebecca Ross

 

Adult Fiction E-Audiobook

1. "Assistant to the Villain," by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
2. "Pretty Girls," by Karin Slaughter
3. "1984," by George Orwell
4. "Pride and Prejudice," by Jane Austen
5. "I Who Have Never Known Men," by Jacqueline Harpman
6. "Shield of Sparrows," by Devney Perry
7. "Onyx Storm," by Rebecca Yarros
8. "The Guest List," by Lucy Foley
9. "My Brilliant Friend," by Elena Ferrante
10. "The Paris Apartment," by Lucy Foley

 

Adult Fiction E-Book

1. "The Covenant of Water," by Abraham Verghese
2. "Yellowface," by R.F. Kuang
3. "Demon Copperhead," by Barbara Kingsolver
4. "The Handmaid’s Tale," by Margaret Atwood
5. "The Paradise Problem," by Christina Lauren
6. "Just for the Summer," by Abby Jimenez
7. "Part of Your World," by Abby Jimenez
8. "Sandwich," by Catherine Newman
9. "Deep End," by Ali Hazelwood
10. "The Wedding People," by Alison Espach

 

Adult Nonfiction E-Audiobook

1. "Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants," by Robin Wall Kimmerer
2. "101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think," by Brianna Wiest
3. "Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men," by Caroline Criado-Perez
4. "Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal From Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents," by Lindsay C. Gibson
5. "Educated: A Memoir," by Tara Westover
6. "Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection," by John Green
7. "Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir," by Ina Garten
8. "Unf*ck Your Brain: Using Science to Get Over Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Freak-Outs, and Triggers," by Faith G. Harper
9. "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life," by Mark Manson
10. "Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones," by James Clear

 

Adult Nonfiction E-Book

1. "Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed," by Lori Gottlieb
2. "The Let Them Theory," by Mel Robbins
3. "Educated: A Memoir," by Tara Westover
4. "Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism," by Sarah Wynn-Williams
5. "Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection," by John Green
6. "Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir," by Ina Garten
7. "Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood," by Trevor Noah
8. "The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness," by Jonathan Haidt
9. "Abundance: What Progress Takes," by Ezra Klein
10. "Want: Sexual Fantasies by Anonymous," by Gillian Anderson

 

Youth E-Audiobook

1. "Sunrise on the Reaping," by Suzanne Collins
2. "A Wrinkle in Time," by Madeleine L’Engle
3. "Throne of Glass," by Sarah J. Maas
4. "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," by J.K. Rowling
5. "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," by Suzanne Collins
6. "Hot Mess," by Jeff Kinney
7. "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," by J.K. Rowling
8. "Divine Rivals," by Rebecca Ross
9. "The Summer I Turned Pretty," by Jenny Han
10. "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," by J.K. Rowling

 

Youth E-Book

1. "A Court of Thorns and Roses," by Sarah J. Maas
2. "Sunrise on the Reaping," by Suzanne Collins
3. "The Hunger Games," by Suzanne Collins
4. "Throne of Glass," by Sarah J. Maas
5. "Powerless," by Lauren Roberts
6. "Hot Mess," by Jeff Kinney
7. "Mockingjay," by Suzanne Collins
8. "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," by Suzanne Collins
9. "Catching Fire," by Suzanne Collins
10. "Smile," by Raina Telgemeier

 

Top Digital

1. "Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants," by Robin Wall Kimmerer
2. "Assistant to the Villain," by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
3. "Pretty Girls," by Karin Slaughter
4. "1984," by George Orwell
5. "Pride and Prejudice," by Jane Austen
6. "I Who Have Never Known Men," by Jacqueline Harpman
7. "The Covenant of Water," by Abraham Verghese
8. "101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think," by Brianna Wiest
9. "Yellowface," by R.F. Kuang

 

Kanopy Top Titles

1. "Blackshore"
2. "Pride and Prejudice"
3. "Miss Marple" (Season 1)
4. "The Killing" (Season 1)
5. "Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat"
6. "Anora"
7. "The Count of Monte Cristo"
8. "Perfect Days"
9. "Detective Montalbano" (Season 1)

 

Top Libby & PressReader Magazines

1. The New Yorker
2. The Economist
3. New York magazine
4. New Scientist
5. Guardian Weekly
6. The New York Review of Books
7. The Week
8. Bon Appetit
9. National Geographic
10. Newsweek

 

Top PressReader Newspapers

1. The New York Times
2. The Guardian
3. The Boston Globe
4. Corriere della Sera
5. South China Morning Post
6. USA Today
7. El Pais
8. The Dallas Morning News
9. La Nueva España (Cuencas)

 

Top Mango Language Courses

1. Spanish (Latin American)
2. French
3. German
4. Japanese
5. Italian
6. Arabic (Levantine)
7. Chinese (Mandarin)
8. Portuguese (Brazilian)
9. Russian
10. Korean

 

Top LinkedIn Learning

1. "WordPress: Ecommerce"
2. "Systems Thinking"
3. "Project Management Foundations"
4. "Windows Server 2019: Remote Access Solutions"
5. "Pre-Investing: Before Investing in Real Estate"
6. "Photography Foundations: Night and Low Light"
7. "Writing: The Craft of Story"
8. "Excel Essential Training (Microsoft 365)"
9. "Python Essential Training"
10. "Excel for Investment Professionals"

 

Top Universal Class

1. "Proofreading and Copyediting 101"
2. "Microsoft Excel Level 1"
3. "Writing Basics 101"
4. "Buying and Selling Antiques and Collectibles"
5. "Project Management 101"
6. "Cake Decorating"
7. "American Government"
8. "Team Management and Leadership"
9. "Landlord 101: Managing Rental Properties"
10. "Film Appreciation"

 

Top CreativeBug Classes

1. "Beginner Crochet 1"
2. "Daily Drawing Challenge"
3. "Basic Line Drawing: A 4-Part Series"
4. "Beginning Watercolor: A 2-Part Series"
5. "Sewing Machine Basics"
6. "Hand Sew A Shirt"
7. "Make a Paper Mache Tray"
8. "Intro to Paper Quilling: A Daily Practice"
9. "How to Knit: A 2-Part Series"
10. "Acrylic Painting for Beginners: A 3-Part Series"

 

Freegal Top Genres Streamed

1. Pop
2. Soundtracks
3. Rock
4. Classical
5. Jazz
6. R&B
7. Latin Music
8. World Music
9. Electronic
10. Folk

 

Freegal Top Artists Downloaded

1. Louis Armstrong
2. Bruce Springsteen
3. Bob Dylan
4. Billy Joel
5. Beyoncé
6. Ozzy Osbourne
7. HAIM
8. Miley Cyrus
9. Hozier
10. SZA