Newmarket Public Library’s chief executive, Tracy Munusami, filed incorrect statistics for the Province’s annual survey of public libraries. 
Ms Munusami told the Province the library had 24,136 members (or active library cardholders) in December 2023. She now says the correct figure is 17,893 – a decrease of 26%.
I don’t know when the Library Board was informed of this mistake.
The survey, which is mandatory, is designed to capture key statistics from the 413 municipalities in Ontario.
Extraordinary year
In the foreword to the Library’s Report to the Community 2024, the Board Chair, Darryl Gray, said 2024 was an extraordinary year for the Library and trumpeted a “significant growth” in membership.
I relied on the official figure reported by the Library’s Chief Executive to the province when I claimed there was, in reality, no increase in membership at all. I calculated that membership had fallen by 7.9%.
Ms Munusami told me on 16 April 2025:
“The number you received from the provincial annual survey is incorrect. The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming does have an updated figure from us. We have been informed that the reports on the Province’s site from 2023 will not be updated for the public, but the Province does retain the record of the revised number from us.”
Inaccurate data
I cannot believe the Province would allow seriously inaccurate data to remain uncorrected on the authoritative official database on which the public rely. I hope it will be updated on-line in due course.
The revised 2023 membership figures formed the baseline for comparison with the latest 2024 figures which were reported to councillors on 7 April 2025.
Ms Munusami told councillors 9,476 people signed up for a Newmarket Library Card in 2024 and 5,357 people signed up in 2023. Last week she told me:
“We track new memberships because they indicate how effectively our outreach and marketing efforts are reaching people. So yes, there was a 43% increase in new memberships.”
She is understating her achievement. The percentage increase was not 43% but a spectacular 76%.
Ballooned
Total Library cardholders ballooned in 2022 to 27,780. The reason for this is unclear to me but I do not see similar spikes in libraries elsewhere which could be the case if the figures were influenced by the pandemic.
In 2022, the Chief Executive embarked on a database clean-up, telling councillors in her presentation on 7 April 2025:
“In 2022 we were looking at ways to evaluate the people who are using the library card numbers as well as to clean up our databases.… In 2022 we removed accounts from the system that were no longer active library users. The definition of an “active library user” is someone who's used the library in the last 24 months. And in order to make better business decisions we had to have the most accurate data. So that's why we made the change in 2023."
Extravagant
Getting the membership base down to a new low of 17,893 allows for these extravagant percentage increases in membership. We are told there were 9,476 new members in 2024 but we still don’t know how many people renewed their existing membership – a statistic that used to be routinely given.
If I were on the Library Board I’d ask the Chief Executive for a note on the process for “cleaning up the database” and an assurance that this would be done annually, removing non-active library cards.
Last year, when Ms Munusami presented her report to councillors on 8 April 2024, the effusive library Vice Chair and Town councillor, Kelly Broome, complimented her on the strategic plan, the rebrand and her leadership.
Kelly Broome trilled:
“We’re extremely proud of the level and where we are with the library in terms of our brand and our reach. It’s significant. If we had the annual reports lined up you would see the significant increase since you joined us (3 August 2021)…
“We’re definitely at a point now when measuring data is critical and (it’s) great we have some really great data to share.”
What is needed
We no longer have a time-series allowing us to compare membership and usage over the years which makes it easier to spot trends. There appears to be no distinction between genuinely ”new” members and those who have simply renewed their library card. We just have bald numbers presented as snapshots with percentage increases over the previous year.
On the key metrics the Board needs to have statistics covering at least three consecutive years. And the Board must have confidence in the figures it gives to the Town, the Province and the wider public.
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Photo from Newmarket Today 8 April 2024: Library adds more than 5000 members in 2023. And from Newmarket Today on 9 April 2025: Focus on community outreach gives Newmarket Library a growth spurt.
Updated on 21 April 2025. Click "Read more" below for email exchange.
Newmarket Public Library membership 2014-2024
My email to NPL Chief Executive on 15 April 2025:
I wonder if you could clarify for me some of the statistics which appear in the NPL Report to the Community 2024?
On page 8 – 2024 by the numbers – we are told there were "9,476 new library members which was a 43.47% increase over 2023".
Can you explain how that figure of 9,476 was arrived at?
In your presentation to the Town’s Committee of the Whole on Monday 7 April 2025 your slide presentation showed library membership was 22,234 in 2024.
In the Province’s annual survey of public libraries the membership of NPL was 24,136 in 2023.
On the face of it, the figures for 2024 and 2023 show a decrease in membership.
Yet the Library’s Report to the Community 2024 says there was a significant growth in membership.
How do you explain this?
I have been advised that you are best placed to comment on the data in the report.
I am copying this Councillor Morrison who is my ward councillor as well as being a member of the Library Board.
I look forward to hearing from you as soon as you are able.
And the Chief Executive's reply on 16 April 2025:
Thanks for reaching out about our community report.
From January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2024, a total of 9,476 people signed up for a Newmarket Library Card. In 2023, 5,357 people signed up for library cards from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023.
We track new memberships because they indicate how effectively our outreach and marketing efforts are reaching people. So yes, there was a 43% increase in new memberships.
As of December 31, 2024, we had 22,234 individuals with an active Newmarket Library card.
As of December 31, 2023, we had 17,893 individuals with an active Newmarket Library card.
Library cards expire after two years; if you do not return to the library to renew your account it will not be counted as an active library card.
The number of active library cards fluctuates daily as cards expire and new members sign up.
Active library card numbers help us better understand who is using the library. Accounts must be active to access library resources. There was an increase in active users from 2023 to 2024.
The number you received from the provincial annual survey is incorrect. The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming does have an updated figure from us. We have been informed that the reports on the province’s site from 2023 will not be updated for the public, but the province does retain the record of the revised number from us.
I hope this answers your questions.
