Hancock County Library System Releases First Annual Report

Arts Locale - June 2025

​The Hancock County Library System documents its Growth and its impact on our community in their 2024 Annual Report.
​

In a year marked by innovation, outreach, and measurable growth, the Hancock County Library System (HCLS) proudly reflects on its achievements with the release of its 2024 Annual Report, the first of its kind for the system. This milestone comes just two years after the debut of its ambitious five-year Strategic Plan, and the results are already turning heads.

Arts Locale
is supported by

The report, available online in a digital flipbook format, offers a comprehensive look at how the library system is evolving to meet the needs of a modern, diverse population.

“The 2024 Annual Report contains a summation of the major accomplishments our library system has realized in the communities we serve and to Hancock County overall,” said executive director John Brdecka, who has led HCLS since 2021.

Since the launch of its Strategic Plan, HCLS has focused on four priorities: responsive offerings, access and outreach, organizational health, and communications, all under the banner of “One HCLS.” That vision has translated into an impressive list of community-driven accomplishments.
Among the highlights: 
​

• A 3,000% surge in digital material usage, skyrocketing from around 59,000 items in 2023 to nearly 2 million in 2024.
• Patron visits also rose by 71% with over 300,000 visits recorded across the library’s branches in Bay St. Louis, Diamondhead, Kiln, Pearlington, and Waveland.

The system also doubled down on community partnerships and programming. Notable 2024 initiatives included a grant-funded Oral History Project, a diaper drive in collaboration with United Way of South Mississippi, and Memory Cafés for seniors facing memory challenges. The library also expanded its Spanish Language collection and launched DIAMONDHEAD READS!, a new community reading initiative.

Two signature events made their debut in 2024: HOMEGROWN: A Writers’ Exchange, featuring 21 award-winning authors, and FAN★FEST, HCLS’s spin on a pop culture mini-comic convention. Combined with over 26,000 program participants across all branches, these events solidified the library’s growing role as both a cultural and informational hub.

The switch to a fully online annual report, available via a QR code mailed to over 16,000 county households, not only reduced costs but also demonstrated HCLS’s commitment to sustainability and accessibility. Limited hard copies are still available for those without internet access.

Financially, the library system remains firmly supported through a mix of public funding and private contributions. The Hancock County Board of Supervisors provided over $1.1 million (54% of the budget), with additional funds coming from city governments, grants, and the Library Foundation of Hancock County, recently honored as “Nonprofit of the Year” by the Chamber of Commerce.

Looking forward, Brdecka is especially excited about reintroducing mobile library services with a new, high-tech bookmobile, made possible by Foundation support. “The coming year is filled with promise,” he said. “With the community’s support, we can ensure our libraries remain places of learning, inspiration, creativity, and connection for generations to come.”

For more details or to view the full annual report, visit www.hcls.info.

---