Increased circulation, a new terrace project and a partnership with the Community Gear Library are among the good news at Staunton Library.
Staunton Public Library Director Sarah Skrobis shared an annual update of the library with Staunton City Council at its regular meeting last week.
“We’ve had another really rewarding and busy year though overall we’ve hit a little bit of a plateau after seeing several years of great rebounding increase use post global [COVID-19] pandemic,” said
According to Skrobis, the plateau is not a surprise because the library is working to learn what its new normal will look like after the pandemic.
Staunton Library registered 2,100 new cardholders in fiscal year 2025, which is six new accounts per day. More than 16,000 individuals are registered cardholders at Staunton’s library. Signing up for a library card in Staunton is good at all libraries in the Valley library system, including the city of Waynesboro and Augusta County.
More than 154,000 visited the library, or an average of 450 individuals per day and an average 46 per hour.
“And, lately, if you drive by the library in the morning, you may see that we have people lined up on the stairs and at the door before we even open,” Skrobis said.
Staunton Library is the only library in the Valley that opens as early as 9 a.m. and stays open as late as 9 p.m., and the only library with Sunday hours, which will resume soon.
“I hope this community realizes that the level of staffing that the city funds means that we are regionally unique in being able to offer building access to the public,” Skrobis.
ICYMI: Staunton Library news
- Friends of Staunton Library to fund grounds renovation from Kiessling estate gift
- Friends of Staunton Library to hold terrace project groundbreaking May 6
- ‘Solidifies the legacy’: Friends of the Staunton Library break ground on terrace project
Overall circulation at Staunton Library is up 4 percent from fiscal year 2024 and physical circulation has increased 0.3 percent. Adult literature represents 42 percent of the library’s circulation, children’s literature is 30 percent, digital is 25 percent and teens are at 3 percent. Skrobis said that the percentage of ages represented in circulation data do not change very much from year to year.
Digital check-outs for the majority of American libraries consist of 45 percent of overall circulation, according to Skrobis, and Staunton’s has increased by 15 percent with audiobooks accounting for 51.5 percent. Movies and music account for only 1.7 percent of check-outs. While Staunton Library‘s digital circulation has doubled since 2020, it has not reached the national average of 45 percent of overall circulation.
Libraries are about community and Staunton’s is certainly not an exception having hosted 678 events in the past year with more than 28,000 attending the events.
“We firmly believe in the value of what our organization offers and we try to get out as much as possible to spread the word about what a library card can do for you,” Skrobis said of library staff and community outreach.
The library has more than 30 business partners and worked with two dozen other community organizations.
The summer 2025 reading program amounted to approximately 9,000 hours of reading and registration increased by 46 percent from 2024.
“And, of course we’re going to aim for even higher numbers next year,” Skrobis said.
After an assessment by Wiley Wilson, library staff will continue discussions about possible facility changes in the future.
“Though it was a relief to hear that for a building built in 1917 they thought it was in pretty good condition,” Skrobis said.
New book drops were installed outside to hold more returned books.
Friends of the Staunton Library logged more than 1,500 volunteer hours and raised $8,500 at their used book sale. The next book sale will be held October 13 to 17, 2025.
According to Skrobis, after the library’s terrace project broke ground in early May, the way the foundation was poured necessitates changes to the terrace’s design, which is under review now. She said she expects an update on the project soon.
The Talking Book Center at the library offers services for individuals who are blind and print-disabled. The center reached nearly 20,000 in circulation, which is a 31 percent increase from last year.
Staunton Library is preparing to begin a partnership with the Community Gear Library at Massanutten Regional Library to make outdoor recreational equipment available to patrons, including tents, hiking poles and backpacks.
“I think it’s a really beautiful merging of our two organizations’ values and ideals. Each of us wants to remove barriers to access and this just dovetails so nicely with our existing library of things,” Skrobis said.
The library also waits for complete assessment results from Wiley Wilson about its building’s structural needs and is ready to begin planning events for 2026 on the new terrace.
“We already have a giant idea bank that we have been brainstorming,” Skrobis said.
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Rebecca Barnabi
