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Total library attendance (000)
BPL Performance Reporting — BPL Performance Indicators
BPL's overall visit numbers climbed from FY22 through FY25 as the library system recovered from COVID-19 pandemic closures and resumed full in-person service. The FY26 figure is a preliminary, partial-year count; BPL's own reporting for the first four months of FY26 shows visit and program activity running at or above the prior year's pace, so the apparent FY26 decline likely reflects incomplete-year reporting rather than a real drop in attendance.
Researched July 16, 2026 — NYC Public Libraries, Fiscal 2023 Mayor's Management Report, NYC Public Libraries, Preliminary Fiscal 2026 Mayor's Management Report
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual |
|---|---|
| FY22 | 2,979,000 |
| FY23 | 4,064,000 |
| FY24 | 5,984,000 |
| FY25 | 6,035,000 |
| FY26 (YTD) | 4,232,000 |
Why this is tracked
Brooklyn Public Library was established by an 1892 act of the state legislature and opened its first branch in 1897, with its founding mission to provide the people of Brooklyn free and open access to information for education, recreation, and reference. As a City-funded public system, BPL's performance is tracked through the Mayor's Management Report, which defines and reports indicators such as program attendance, active library cards, computer and wireless sessions, and branch visits. This reporting exists to give the public and City officials a factual basis for assessing whether the library, one of the largest public library systems in the country, is delivering on that founding mission.
Our History | Brooklyn Public Library, NYC Mayor's Management Report - Public Libraries Indicator Definitions
Source: BPL Staff — via NYC Open Data: Mayor's Management Report, Agency Performance Indicators
Coverage shown: FY22–FY26, reported quarterly.
Definition: The total number of visits at all library/branch locations.