Readers spent a lot of time at D.C.’s public libraries in 2025, and checked out a lot of books, eBooks, audiobooks and streaming videos.
In a news release, the library system said people walked trough the library doors 3.2 million times in 2025, and library items were borrowed more than 6.2 million times.
“More than 1.1 million physical items left for a first checkout,” according to the library system.
So what are people reading, listening to and streaming the most?
Young readers checked out nine different Dav Pilkey illustrated titles, while teens and young adults moved through Sarah J. Maas’ fantasy series and returned repeatedly to Suzanne Collins.
Adults borrowed Emily Henry’s novels, Michelle Zauner’s “Crying in H Mart” memoir and David Grann’s historical narrative. Of the tops books, digital borrowers listened to “Braiding Sweetgrass” and “Pride and Prejudice,” and read “The Covenant of Water” and “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
The book “The God of the Woods” by Liz Moore, a mystery about a summer camp in the Adirondacks, topped the list of most checked out adult fiction in print form. “Assistant to the Villain” by Hannah Nicole Maehrer was the top adult fiction audiobook.
There was also a lot of community built at libraries last year. Meeting rooms and study rooms were booked 78,247 times.
The library system said public computers hosted 623,906 sessions, totaling 574,623 hours.
Online, people took courses in Spanish, French and German through Mango Languages, or they worked on Excel and Python tutorials and took classes in crochet, watercolor and sewing.
