As a marker of its strong recovery, San Francisco Public Library’s circulation has exceeded pre-pandemic levels. In celebration, the Library will offer free fortune cookies to the first 100 patrons at all 28 locations

SAN FRANCISCO, July 26, 2023 – San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) celebrates the milestone of reaching 12 million annual circulation, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. To celebrate, the Library will give away free fortune cookies to the first 100 patrons at all 27 branches and the Main Library on Friday, July 28, 2023. 

“Every great city has a great library, but San Francisco Public Library is the best. The work they do goes beyond putting books in hands—our Library supports residents in achieving their goals and dreams,” said Mayor London Breed. “As community hubs, they provide safe and welcoming spaces where people can connect with their neighbors, strengthening our collective resiliency. I encourage everyone to get a library card so that they can take full advantage of this vital civic resource.” 

According to the 2022 California State Library Survey, San Francisco has the highest circulation per capita amongst urban libraries in the state. Its circulation is among the top 15 urban public libraries in the country. The system, which includes mobile bookmobiles, 27 branch libraries and the Main Library, sees an average of 10,000 patrons per day. At 11% of its budget, SFPL funds one of the largest collections and materials budgets per capita, among U.S. libraries. More than nine thousand physical and 15 thousand electronic materials are checked out per day. The Library hosts thousands of programs a year from storytimes to talks with award-winning authors, computer classes to job readiness workshops and everything in between. It is also the largest provider of free Wi-Fi in the City, serving 8,100 people per day. 

“Library love is strong in San Francisco!” exclaimed City Librarian Michael Lambert. “I’m so proud of our staff who work hard every day to provide the best possible library service to our patrons. The fact that we have reached this milestone is a testament to the inspiration they engender through their innovative programs and our unparalleled collection. I want to thank the residents of San Francisco for renewing the Library Preservation Fund, which guarantees that we can sustain and build upon the wonderful work we are already doing. Your San Francisco Public Library is here for you from the cradle to your golden years. Don’t miss out. Get or renew your library card today!”

Top circulating items Fiscal Year 2022-23:

ADULT FICTION 

Alyssa Cole, When No One is Watching 

Emily Mandel St. John, Sea of Tranquility 

Celeste Ng, Our Missing Hearts 

Barbara Kingslover, Demon Copperhead

Anthony Doerr, Cloud Cuckoo Land 

Jennifer Egan, The Candy House

Geraldine Brooks, Horse

Elizabeth Strout, Lucy by the Sea

Lucy Foley, The Paris Apartment 

Gabrielle Zevin, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow 

Taylor Jenkins Reid, Carrie Soto is Back

Bonnie Garmus, Lessons in Chemistry 

Neal Shusterman, Dry

Emily Henry, Book Lovers

Cormac McCarthy, The Passenger

Louise Penny, A World of Curiosities

Leila Mottley, Nightcrawling

Maggie O'Farrell, The Marriage Portrait

Amor Towles, The Lincoln Highway 

Matt Haig, The Midnight Library

ADULT NONFICTION

Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods, This is Ear Hustle: Unflinching Stories of Everyday Prison Life 

Michelle Obama, The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times 

Michelle Zauner, Crying in H Mart: A Memoir 

Prince Harry, Spare

Jennette McCurdy, I'm Glad My Mom Died

Bonnie Tsui, Why We Swim 

Roberto Lovato,  Unforgetting: A Memoir of Family, Migration, Gangs, and Revolution in the Americas

David Graeber, The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity

Brené Brown, Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Conniections and the Language of Human Experience 

Tara Westover, Educated 

Gary Kamiya, The End of the Golden Gate: Writers on Loving and (Sometimes) Leaving San Francisco 

Lori Gottlieb, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed 

T Kira Madden, Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls 

Hua Hsu, Stay True: A Memoir 

Ed Yong, An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us 

David Sedaris, Happy-go-lucky

Samin Nosrat, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking

JUVENILE FICTION

Books by Dav Pilkey: Dog Man: Brawl of the Wild; Cat Kid Comic Club: Perspectives; Dog Man Unleashed; Dog Man; Dog Man: Mothering Heights; Cat Kid Comic Club: On Purpose; Dog Man: Grime and Punishment; Cat Kid Comic Club and Dog Man: Fetch-22

Books by Jeff Kinney: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth; Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever; Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days; Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Meltdown; Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel 

Books by Mo Willems: The Pigeon Needs a Bath! and The Thank You Book

Books by Raina Telgemeier: Drama and Guts

J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

TEEN FICTION

Malinda Lo, Last night at the Telegraph Club

Alice Oseman, Heartstopper. Volume 1

Sarah J. Maas, A Court of Thorns and Roses

Leigh Bardugo, Six of Crows

Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and MockingJay

Jenny Han, The Summer I Turned Pretty 

Octavia E. Butler, Parable of the Sower

Leigh Bardugo, Shadow and Bone

Holly Black, The Cruel Prince

Angie Thomas, The Hate U Give

Adam Silvera, They Both Die at the End

Holly Jackson, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder 

Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

Karen M. McManus, One of us is Lying

Holly Jackson, As Good as Dead and Good Girl, Bad Blood 

Sarah J. Maas, A Court of Wings and Ruin

Gene Luen Yang, American Born Chinese

MOVIES

Everything Everywhere All At Once

Top Gun Maverick

The Batman

Nope

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Dune

Uncharted

Elvis

Jurassic World Dominion

Bullet Train

Spider-Man: No Way Home

The Fabelmans

Black Adam

Black Panther: Wakanda forever

Licorice Pizza

Thor: Love and thunder

M3gan

Morbius

Belfast

MUSIC

Taylor Swift, Midnights

Beyoncé, Renaissance

Harry Styles, Harry's House

Valentine, Gary Against the Odds 1974-1982

Adele, 30

Lizzo, Special

Madonna, Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones

The Beatles, Revolver

Now That's What I Call Music: 82, 83, 84 and 85

Kendrick Lamar, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers

Perfume Genius, Cool it Down

Nina Simone, Feeling Good: Her Greatest Hits and Remixes 

Bob Dylan, Fragments: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 17 Time Out of Mind Sessions (1996-1997)

Pink, Trustfall

The Beatles, Abbey Road

Taylor Swift, Red (Taylor’s Version)

Jimin, Proof 

NONFICTION E-BOOK     

Jennette McCurdy, I'm Glad My Mom Died

Prince Harry, Spare

Lori Gottlieb, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed

Michelle Zauner, Crying in H Mart: A Memoir

Robin Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants

James Clear, Atomic Habits

Michelle Obama, The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times

Lindsay Gibson, Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents

Jenny Odell, How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy

Oliver Burkeman, Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals

Trevor Noah, Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood

Ed Yong, An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us

Hua Hsu, Stay True: A Memoir

Morgan Housel, The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness

Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods, This Is Ear Hustle: Unflinching Stories of Everyday Prison Life

Bell Hooks, All About Love: New Visions

Brené Brown, Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience

David Graeber, The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity

Bessel van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

Paul Kalanithi, When Breath Becomes Air

E-AUDIOBOOK  

Jennette McCurdy, I'm Glad My Mom Died 

Prince Harry, Spare

Bonnie Garmus, Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel 

Gabrielle Zevin, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow: A novel 

Lucy Foley, The Paris Apartment: A Novel 

Brené Brown, Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience 

Emily Henry, Book Lovers 

James Clear, Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones 

Michelle Obama, The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times 

Mark Manson, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life 

Laura Dave, The Last Thing He Told Me: A Novel 

Anthony Doerr, Cloud Cuckoo Land: A Novel 

Delia Owens, Where the Crawdads Sing

Yuval Harari, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind 

Brianna Wiest, 101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think 

V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue 

Taylor Jenkins Reid, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo: a Novel 

Bessel van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma 

Lucy Foley, The Guest List: A Novel 

Michelle Zauner, Crying in H Mart: A Memoir 

# # # #