Circulation of books and other materials has ballooned at Chicago Public Libraries. Patrons checked out 36 percent more books and other materials this May than the same time a year ago. Library Commissioner Mary Dempsey says slicker online services and tighter household budgets are boosting circulation.
DEMPSEY:Maybe they’re pinching their pennies now because things are a little tight in the economy. They go online, they see we own it, they place it on hold, it’s delivered to them at a library that’s convenient for them, they can read it and return it. And if they need to renew it, they can renew it online.
Dempsey sees more job seekers and consumer researchers at the library, but fiction remains king at the check-out desk.