Bethlehem’s most borrowed 2023
Did you know that Bethlehem patrons are known – in library parlance – as “net borrowers?” That means that over the course of a year, our cardholders borrow more items from all of the libraries across the Upper Hudson Library System than we send out. So not only are our patrons actively using our own robust collection, but also those of libraries throughout the system.
As we head into 2024 and start lining up our reading goals for the new year, it seemed like a good time to share some of your most-loved loans of 2023.
Up first is our most borrowed novel: “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus. This witty tale follows 1960s chemist Elizabeth Zott as she uses her role on a beloved cooking show to undermine the status quo. The was also the top pick for e-books and e-audiobook, too!
The most borrowed DVD of 2023? Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale,” with a heart-rending portrayal of a reclusive English teacher by Brendan Fraser, which won the actor an Academy Award. What will we watch in 2024?
The lives of royals never ceases to fascinate us. In non-fiction, this title rose to the top in 2023 in both print and digital: “Spare” by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex.
“The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins made its way back onto the most borrowed YA list in 2023, the same year the series prequel “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” made it to the big screen.
Perennial favorite Dog Man is back on top with “Mothering Heights,” the 10th in Dav Pilkey’s series, and the most borrowed children’s title of 2023.
Family-friendly “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” for the Nintendo Switch was the most borrowed video game last year. Get ready for even more gaming fun in 2024, with the addition of the Sony PlayStation 5 console to our Library of Things to expand your gaming options.
Laptop computers and WiFi hotspots continue to be the most borrowed items in our Library of Things collection, but last year, a decidedly analog pastime – bird watching – pushed our kids’ bird-watching kits into the top three for 2023.
Bethlehem cardholders got out and about last year, enjoying our state’s natural resources and making the Empire Pass our most borrowed of the year.
Which periodical saw the most checkouts in 2023? The perennial favorite – People magazine.
Kicking off the beloved fantasy series, “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas was the most borrowed digital YA title of 2023.
The same two titles tied for most borrowed digital children’s title and most borrowed graphic novel of 2023: “Big Shot” by Jeff Kinney, a continuation of the Wimpy Kid series, and “Release the Hounds,” a Big Nate installment, by Lincoln Peirce.
Finally, the digital format seems to agree with long-form journalism as The New Yorker took the top spot in 2023 for digital magazines.
