The municipal public libraries in Madrid closed 2024 with a significant growth in all their indicators compared to the previous year. With a total of 2,060,430 visitors, nearly 8% more than in 2023 (1,914,976), the annual balance also reflects a positive evolution in loans, activities, user satisfaction, and digital presence.
Loans reached almost 1.6 million, representing an increase of approximately 10% compared to 2023. The most requested material continues to be children’s books, with approximately 730,400 loans (13.6% more than in 2023), followed by adult books, which also saw a significant increase with almost 644,000 loans (9.4% more). Multimedia materials maintained their appeal, especially highlighted among adults with almost 121,500 loans, while multimedia content for children increased to almost 35,800 loans.
Additionally, the user survey evaluations in 2024 awarded the municipal library network an average score of 8.81 out of 10, representing an improvement from the 2023 evaluation (8.55).
More activities and increased participation
The program of activities at the municipal libraries has seen an increase in events and participants. In 2024, over 15,800 activities were held, almost 17% more than the previous year, with a total participation of over 172,000 people.
Children’s activities continue to be a fundamental pillar, with 4,655 events (almost 19% more) and 65,800 participants (approximately 12% more). On the other hand, adult events also increased with almost 11,200 activities, representing a 16% increase and over 106,200 participants.
Digital growth and new WhatsApp service
The digital presence of Madrid’s municipal public libraries continued to grow in 2024, with almost 1.1 million visits to their website, establishing itself as a key tool for catalog consultation, loan management, and activity registration.
On social media, the total number of followers exceeded 42,600, representing an almost 10% increase compared to 2023. Instagram saw the highest growth, going from over 7,850 to almost 10,300 followers, an increase of almost 31%. The X social network reached almost 16,400 followers, while Facebook reached 14,000 and YouTube with 1,950.
Starting in February, the 33 municipal public libraries in Madrid opened new WhatsApp channels to provide a more agile and closer information service. This initiative aims to facilitate access to information and enhance the library user experience. Each channel serves as a news board regarding the activities being carried out, the services provided, and any incidents. This link allows users to locate their library and follow its WhatsApp channel.
The most provided
According to data from the Madrid City Council’s open data portal, the most provided card for adult readers in 2024 was Japanese manga specimens, particularly My Hero Academia, Naruto, and Mad. In the authors ranking, Roberto Santiago, Juan Gómez-Jurado, and Carmen Mola stand out.
For the children’s audience, the most borrowed book is the manga Naruto. Following that, stories about My Hero Academia, Superpatado, and Doraemon. In terms of authors captivating the little ones, Elisabetta Dami is the undeniable queen of children’s literature. Her pseudonym (Geronimo Stilton) takes the top spot, followed by Roberto Santiago and Jeff Kinney. /
