Thanks to everyone who took our latest Lost in the Stats quiz published in our Fall / Winter newsletter! Here are the answers, along with some facts about what your support makes possible.
Madison’s Biggest Book Club
Question One: In 2025, about how many people attended the Wisconsin Book Festival’s free events?
A. 3,500
B. 7,500
C. 10,000
D. 14,000
Answer D: 14,000. Wisconsin Book Festival hosted 92 free author events throughout the year, thanks to the support of our donors and funding partners. The four-day Fall Celebration alone draws 3,900 attendees. We challenge you to bring a friend (or three!) to this year’s 25th Anniversary Fall Celebration, to see if we can break last year’s attendance records. Visit wisconsinbookfestival.org for more information.
From Seed Packet to Fall Harvest 
Question Two: How many packets did Madison Public Library’s Seed Library program give away in 2025?
A. 15,000
B. 30,000
C. 45,000
D. 60,000
Answer: D. About 60,000. The actual number was 59,868 packets, including native Wisconsin seeds and garden seeds. That’s a 14.4% increase from 2024! Because of your support of Madison Public Library Foundation’s annual fund, every Madisonian has the opportunity to grow healthy food and native plants. You don’t even need a library card to participate—simply walk into a library when seeds are being distributed. Garden seed distribution begins in March, while native Wisconsin seeds are distributed starting in December. The Seed Library wouldn’t be possible without donors and volunteers who come together for seed packaging events in the winter and spring to help get the seeds ready for distribution in libraries, proving that there’s more than one way to support the library.
You can learn more about the Seed Library and gardening classes on the library’s website.
Borrowing is Booming
Question 3: Which Madison Public Library collection saw its checkouts increase by 20% in 2025?
A. Vinyl records
B. Video games
C. Blu-rays
D. Book Club Kits
Answer: B. Video games. Video game checkouts jumped 20% compared with 2024. That’s a lot of leveling up! However, all of the collections mentioned above saw increased circulation in 2025. The checkout of vinyl records increased by 10%, Book Club Kit checkouts increased by 9.1%, and Blu-Rays have become increasingly popular in comparison to DVD formats. Gifts to our annual fund support library collections like these. Your continued support makes it possible for the library to offer eBooks, magazines, and movies through platforms like Libby, Kanopy, and the library’s collection of online databases.
Thank You for Taking Our Quiz
We hope that you had some fun and learned something new about the many ways your donations support collections at Madison Public Library!
For even more Library stats—and more ways your support is making a difference—visit the End of Year Review on the MPL website.
Imagine the Possibilities
Your gifts help possibilities take shape. From expanding access to library resources to supporting programs that spark creativity and strengthen communities, donors make work like this possible. Thank you!
Make your gift today or become a monthly sustainer to help ensure Madison Public Library can continue responding to community needs and creating possibilities for everyone.
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