BOSTON, MA - December 18, 2024 - The Boston Public Library (BPL) is capping off a year of milestones by releasing its 2024 end-of-year wrap-up, highlighting major achievements and community impact. Among the BPL’s key milestones were launching its first-ever Chef-in-Residence program at the Roxbury Branch; hosting its inaugural Excel Adult High School graduation celebration; debuting its Disability Pride Month booklist; and introducing a digital visitor guide featuring an audio tour—all expanding the library's role as a vital hub for innovation and inclusion.
In 2024, the BPL lent a combined 6.6 million physical and digital items, welcomed more than 2.3 million people to its locations throughout Boston’s neighborhoods, signed up 148,149 new library cardholders, and placed 636,951 holds. Meanwhile, more than 8 thousand young adults across the U.S. signed up for a Books Unbanned card, resulting in over 14 thousand checkouts of frequently challenged eBooks and eAudiobooks.
The Kirstein Business Library and Innovation Center hosted more than 9 thousand meetings in professional, private environments and completed 392 3D print jobs for patrons at no cost. Community Learning served more than 15 thousand patrons through its English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes, conducted over 1 thousand one-on-one technology appointments, and provided career counseling support to 423 individuals through personalized meetings with BPL Career Counselors.
Special Collections acquired 1,627 rare, valuable, or unique items, welcomed more than 8 thousand visitors to its space, and cataloged 26 thousand volumes from the Rare Books collections, creating detailed records to improve accessibility for researchers. Meanwhile, 127 couples celebrated accessible and affordable Wedding Ceremonies at the Central Library in Copley Square.
"At the BPL, every book borrowed, every program attended, and every connection made reflects our commitment to lifelong learning, creativity, and community,” said David Leonard, President of the BPL. "As we reflect on 2024, we are deeply grateful to our patrons, partners, and especially to our staff, whose dedication drives our success. We look ahead with excitement to expanding access, fostering inclusion, and delivering even more transformative programs and services for Boston, the Commonwealth, the nation, and beyond."
The BPL's Reader Services Department has also published its annual list of the top borrowed titles of the year; as well as top borrowed titles for adults, juvenile, and teens; and the staff's favorite books of the year.
The Top 10 Checked Out Books in 2024, across print and digital, were:
- Happy Place, Emily Henry
- Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus
- Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin
- The Woman in Me, Britney Spears
- I'm Glad My Mom Died, Jennette McCurdy
- The Women, Kristin Hannah
- Tom Lake, Ann Patchett
- Fourth Wing, Rebecca Yarros
- Spare, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
- It Starts with Us, Colleen Hoover
"The most frequently borrowed titles of 2024 highlight personal stories of human resilience," said Melissa Andrews, BPL's Chief of Collection Management. "This past year, readers gravitated toward narratives exploring real-life challenges – heartbreak, mental health, family dynamics, and personal growth, but particularly women’s stories. Nine out of the ten most frequently borrowed titles were written by women and tell stories that center on women’s experiences and inner lives across multiple settings, decades, and literary styles."
The library's growing circulation data highlights readers’ continued discovery and celebration of the joy of reading. This year’s top title, Emily Henry's Happy Place, logged more than 10 thousand checkouts—a remarkable 28 percent increase compared to last year’s most borrowed book, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Much of the library’s circulation growth in 2024 can be attributed to a surge in fiction readership, reflecting the enduring appeal of compelling stories and diverse literary voices.
Top Five Reads, Listens, and Views:
Top Adult Books
- Happy Place, Emily Henry
- Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus
- Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin
- The Woman in Me, Britney Spears
- I’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette McCurdy
- Full List
Top Teen Books
- The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Suzanne Collins
- A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, Holly Jackson
- Six of Crows, Leigh Bardugo
- The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
- Heartstopper Volume 5, Alice Oseman
- Full List
Top Juvenile Books
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw, Jeff Kinney
- The Ugly Truth, Jeff Kinney
- Dog Man, Dav Pilkey
- Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas, Dav Pilkey
- Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea, Dav Pilkey
- Full List
Top World Language Books
- Rizos, Claribel A. Ortega (Spanish Language)
- Mi Amigo Está Triste, Mo Willems (Spanish Language)
- Cien Años de Soledad, Gabriel García Márquez (Spanish Language)
- Nan du Bei gui, Nan Yue (Chinese Language)
- ¡Hoy volaré!, Mo Willems (Spanish Language)
- Full List
Top eBooks
- Happy Place, Emily Henry
- Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus
- Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin
- Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed, Lori Gottlieb
- It Starts With Us, Colleen Hoover
- Full List
Top eAudiobooks
- Pretty Girls, Karen Slaughter
- You Shouldn’t Have Come Here, Jeneva Rose
- The Woman in Me, Britney Spears
- Happy Place, Emily Henry
- I'm Glad My Mom Died, Jennette McCurdy
- Full List
Top Visual Media Streamed (Kanopy)
- Past Lives
- Father Brown: S1
- Detective Montalbano: S1
- The Prisoner
- Death in Paradise: S1
- Full List
Top Albums Streamed (Hoopla)
- The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology, Taylor Swift
- 1989 (Taylor’s Version) [DELUXE], Taylor Swift
- Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording), Various Artists
- The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, Chappell Roan
- Lover, Taylor Swift
- Full List
Interested in getting a BPL library card? Visit bpl.org/get-a-library-card/ for more information.
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Top Books Checked Out at Each Open Location:
Adams Street
- The Women, Kristin Hannah
- Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea, Dav Pilkey
- Dog Man, Dav Pilkey
- Mary Anne’s Bad Luck Mystery, Cynthia Yuan Cheng
- Collaborations, Dav Pilkey
Brighton
- Iron Flame, Rebecca Yarros
- Fourth Wing, Rebecca Yarros
- Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin
- The Housemaid, Freida McFadden
- The Women, Kristin Hannah
Central Library in Copley Square
- Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin
- Yellowface, R. F. Kuang
- Fourth Wing, Rebecca Yarros
- Lessons in Chemistry, Taylor Jenkins Reid
- The Women, Kristin Hannah
Charlestown
- The Women, Kristin Hannah
- Funny Story, Emily Henry
- Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin
- The Bee Sting, Paul Murray
- Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver
Chinatown
- Cat Kid Comic Club: Influencers, Dav Pilkey
- Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea, Dav Pilkey
- Cat Kid Comic Club: On Purpose, Dav Pilkey
- Mothering Heights, Dav Pilkey
- Dog Man and Cat Kid, Dav Pilkey
Codman Square
- The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, James McBride
- James, Percival Everett
- Cat Kid Comic Club: On Purpose, Dav Pilkey
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: No Brainer, Jeff Kinney
- Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas, Dav Pilkey
Connolly
- Small Mercies, Dennis Lehane
- The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, James McBride
- North Woods, Daniel Mason
- James, Percival Everett
- The Women, Kristin Hannah
East Boston
- Fourth Wing, Rebecca Yarros
- Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea, Dav Pilkey
- The Women, Kristin Hannah
- Iron Flame, Rebecca Yarros
- Karen’s Birthday, Katy Farina
Egleston Square
- Frizzy, Claribel A. Ortega
- The Switcheroo Rescue!, FGTeeV
- FGTeeV Saves the World!, FGTeeV
- Rizos, Claribel A. Ortega
- Stacey’s Mistake, Ellen T. Crenshaw
Faneuil
- So Late in the Day: Soties of Women and Men, Claire Keegan
- Fourth Wing, Rebecca Yarros
- The Women, Kristin Hannah
- Iron Flame, Rebecca Yarros
- The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, James McBride
Fields Corner
- The Housemaid, Freida McFadden
- The Women, Kristin Hannah
- Camp Prodigy, Caroline Palmer
- Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea, Dav Pilkey
- Funny Story, Emily Henry
Grove Hall
- Horse, Geraldine Brooks
- It’s One of Us, J. T. Ellison
- Symphony of Secrets, Brendan Slocumb
- Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, Robert Venditti
- Splatoon. Vol. 11, Sankichi Hinodeya
Honan-Allston
- Yellowface, R. F. Kuang
- Before the Coffee Gets Cold, Toshikazu Kawaguchi
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Iron Flame, Rebecca Yarros
- Fourth Wing, Rebecca Yarros
Hyde Park
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: No Brainer, Jeff Kinney
- The Women, Kristin Hannah
- None of This Is True, Lisa Jewell
- The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster!, Mo Willems
- Mary Anne Saves the Day, Ann M. Martin
Jamaica Plain
- The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, James McBride
- Tom Lake, Ann Patchett
- North Woods, Daniel Mason
- James, Percival Everett
- The Bee Sting, Paul Murray
Lower Mills
- The Women, Kristin Hannah
- Small Mercies, Dennis Lehane
- The Lioness of Boston, Emily Franklin
- The Cliffs, J. Courtney Sullivan
- Table for Two: Fictions, Amor Towles
Mattapan
- One Crazy Summer, Rita Williams-Garcia
- Dog Man: Fetch-22, Dav Pilkey
- Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas, Dav Pilkey
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Big Shot, Jeff Kinney
- Collaborations, Dav Pilkey
North End
- The Women, Kristin Hannah
- Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin
- Iron Flame, Rebecca Yarros
- The Housemaid, Freida McFadden
- None of This Is True, Lisa Jewell
Parker Hill
- Iron Flame, Rebecca Yarros
- Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin
- Yellowface, R. F. Kuang
- Funny Story, Emily Henry
- Fourth Wing, Rebecca Yarros
Roslindale
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw, Jeff Kinney
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: No Brainer, Jeff Kinney
- The Women, Kristin Hannah
- The Ugly Truth, Jeff Kinney
- I Will Surprise My Friend!, Mo Willems
Roxbury
- Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea, Dav Pilkey
- Frizzy, Claribel A. Ortega
- Dog Man: Fetch-22, Dav Pilkey
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: No Brainer, Jeff Kinney
- The Women, Kristin Hannah
South Boston
- The Women, Kristin Hannah
- Funny Story, Emily Henry
- The Housemaid, Freida McFadden
- First Lie Wins, Ashley Elston
- Never Lie, Freida McFadden
Uphams Corner
- Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy, René Descartes
- Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver
- The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, James McBride
- Funny Story, Emily Henry
- Happy Place, Emily Henry
West End
- The Women, Kristin Hannah
- Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin
- The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, James McBride
- Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus
- Yellowface, R. F. Kuang
West Roxbury
- The Women, Kristin Hannah
- The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, James McBride
- My New Friend Is So Fun!, Mo Willems
- Tom Lake, Ann Patchett
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: No Brainer, Jeff Kinney
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ABOUT THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
Established in 1848, the Boston Public Library is a pioneer of public library service in America. It was the first large, free municipal library in the United States; the first public library to lend books; the first to have a branch library; and the first to have a children’s room.
The Boston Public Library of today is a robust system that includes the Central Library in Copley Square, 25 neighborhood branches, the Norman B. Leventhal Map and Education Center, the Kirstein Business Library and Innovation Center, and an archival center, offering public access to world-class special collections of rare books, manuscripts, photographs, and prints, along with rich digital content and online services.
The Boston Public Library serves nearly 4 million visitors per year and millions more online. All of its programs and exhibitions are free to all and open to the public. The Boston Public Library is a department of the City of Boston, under the leadership of Mayor Michelle Wu. To learn more, visit bpl.org.
