Visits to Winnipeg libraries have increased, but changing habits may prevent them from reaching pre-pandemic levels, new data show.
In-person visits to the city’s 20 library branches in 2025 increased 28 per cent from 2022, the first year visits began to rebound after the COVID-19 pandemic, but they have yet to return to the “before” times.
There were 2.14 million visits in 2025, up from 2.08 million in 2024, but still down from 2019’s 2.4 million visits. The library’s highest year since 2012 was in 2016 when the branches saw 2.77 million visits.
Ruth Bonneville / Free Press
Jesson Downie leaves the Millennium Library with two bags of books. Downie says he uses the library several times a week, calling it ‘a one-stop-shop’ for a variety of services.
During the pandemic, visits plummeted; there were only 622,000 visits in 2021 and 804,000 in 2020.
Jesson Downie, who was lugging two tote bags full of books to his car from the Millennium Library Wednesday afternoon, says he still uses the library several times a week for a variety of services.
“The library is full of things you can utilize, it’s a one-stop-shop,” he said.
During the pandemic access to libraries was restricted, but Downie reserved books online and picked them up in the library foyer.
These days, he uses the city’s app to reserve books, but he’ll still browse through books on the stacks when he picks up his order.
David McLean says he uses the Millennium and the Bill and Helen Norrie Library several times per week to use the public Wi-Fi, but feels the city service is, generally, underused.
“I think people do use it, but they just use it to reserve books, and then they come in, they check all their books, and they don’t stay,” he said. “I think people generally could benefit from spending time in the library.”
The pandemic has changed the way people use public services and access public spaces, says Brigitte L’Heureux, executive director of the Manitoba Library Association.
Attendance in other sectors is still recovering, too, says L’Heureux, who works with organizations across Winnipeg, including the Federation of Francophone Parents of Manitoba.
“I think none of us have actually physically returned to pre-pandemic numbers, but people are still using library resources,” she said. “I think that what we’ve noticed post-pandemic is that services are not limited in physical structures, but can also go beyond physical structures.”
E-book borrowing has increased in recent years, which could factor in to visitor numbers being down, said Irmy Nikkel, administrative co-ordinator of collections and borrower services for the city’s libraries.
City data shows item borrowing has been consistent over the last decade, with a slight increase in e-book borrowing in 2024. E-book borrows increased to 1.52 million borrows in 2023 compared with 1.77 million in 2024. Figures for 2025 were not available.
Coun. Vivian Santos, chair of the community services committee, says the city could do more to advertise library services and extended hours. She’s encouraged the numbers are still trending upward.
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The city has several initiatives to get the word out about library services and sign up Winnipeggers up for library cards, including the city’s “book bike.”
The book bike travels to community events and festivals. Staff can sign up people for library cards on the spot. The bike even has a miniature trailer attached to it where new library members can borrow titles on the fly.
Ruth Bonneville / Free Press
David MacLean says he uses the city’s libraries for access to public Wi-Fi, but he feels they are underused and thinks people would benefit from spending more time in libraries.
“We’re really trying to remind people that when budgets are tight and there aren’t so many free events, you can go to the library,” Nikkel said.
The city is opening its 21st branch at Garden City Shopping Centre later this year, which will help to boost numbers and broaden Winnipeggers’ access to library facilities, Santos said.
nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca
Nicole Buffie
Multimedia producer
Nicole Buffie is a reporter for the Free Press city desk. Born and bred in Winnipeg, Nicole graduated from Red River College’s Creative Communications program in 2020 and worked as a reporter throughout Manitoba before joining the Free Press newsroom as a multimedia producer in 2023. Read more about Nicole.
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