COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, October 12, 2026
QUESTION NO. 25
QUESTION: Councillor J. Sinnott
To ask the Chief Executive if he can provide an overview on library membership trends and participation in library events and programmes during 2026?
REPLY:
Library registered and active membership is tracked each year. These figures are obtained through the national Library Management System (LMS) and reported to all local authorities from the LMS Team in Dublin City Council.
An active member is someone who used the library at least once between 1st January and 31st December 2025. This includes anyone who:
- Borrowed, renewed or returned a physical library item.
- Used a digital service, such as BorrowBox, using their library card.
- Used library Wi-Fi or a public computer where they had to log in.
The number of active members is higher than the number of registered members because it includes people who used the library during 2025, but whose membership had expired by the end of the year.
While final membership figures for 2026 are not yet available, library statistics show consistently strong levels of membership and use across the library network.
In 2023, our libraries had 46,321 registered members and 59,068 active members. Libraries recorded 836,133 visits and 943,115 loans during the year.
In 2024, registered membership increased to 47,604 and active membership rose to 60,829. Visitor numbers increased to 946,412 and loans exceeded one million, reaching 1,005,404.
In 2025, our libraries had 45,986 registered members and 60,002 active members. Visitor numbers continued to grow, reaching 972,403, while loans increased significantly to over 1.2 million.
Participation in library events and programmes has also remained strong. In 2023, libraries delivered 7,415 events with a total attendance of 125,852. This increased to 7,761 events in 2024, attended by 149,191 people. In 2025, a total of 8,542 events were held across the library network, attracting 150,621 attendees, an increase of 781 events and 1,430 attendees compared to 2024.
From 1 January to 30 September 2026, SDCC Libraries delivered 5,776 events with a total attendance of 100,113.
These figures demonstrate sustained demand for library services, with strong visitor numbers, increasing borrowing levels and continued engagement with library events and programmes. Libraries continue to provide a broad range of activities for children, young people, adults and older people, supporting learning, culture, creativity and community engagement across South Dublin County.
Full membership and participation figures for 2026 will be available once the year-end statistics have been finalised.