Libraries haven’t been about just books for a long time.

The list of its most checked out items in 2025 at The Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County, which includes the main library at 305 Wick Ave. and 13 branches, offers further proof.

Only two books appear on the top 10 list as patrons increasingly turn to the library to fulfill technological needs.

And “checked out” doesn’t mean leaving the premises. The top two slots on the list are occupied by laptop computers, which can’t leave the building, and charging stations, which patrons use to keep their cellphones and other devices charged while there. Through November, laptops were requested 4,437 times, and chargers went out 2,261 times.

Erin Phemester, chief experience officer for the library system, said, “The laptops themselves have been pretty popular with folks who are maybe looking for a quiet spot and reserve our study room because they’re doing a job interview or something along those lines, and they like to use the laptops there.

“Mobile charging is really popular for making sure your device is charged up. If you’re having a meeting here at the library, and you’re using your phone to record the meeting and forgot your charger, we’ve got those mobile charging stations that are available.”

Third on the list is WiFi mobile hotspots, which provide internet access where it might not be available otherwise. Phemester said the library purchased the mobile hotspots with a federal grant available during the COVID-19 pandemic, and they have remained popular.

Magazines also feature prominently on the list, with People, Us, Consumer Reports and Prevention as the most popular of the many publications available through the library system.

The library also has a database that provides access to past issues of Consumer Reports that visitors can access. Melissa Dunlap, a library at the Boardman branch, said magazines with recipes are popular with patrons.

“We do carry a lot of the more seasonal magazines, such as Taste of Home and Good Housekeeping, that are actually just full of recipes,” Dunlap said. “People don’t have to buy a whole book of recipes. They’re able to take the magazine home and try out the recipe to see if they like it.”

Two books made the list. One is geared to younger readers — Dav Pilkey’s “Dog Man: Big Jim Begins.” The other is “The Women” by Kristin Hannah, a 2024 novel that remains popular.

Phemester described “The Women” as a word-of-mouth hit that lives up to the hype when readers give it a chance. She also believes it’s a book people are reading more than once.

Dunlap added, “We used that for our book club some months ago, and it really connects with women. It’s called ‘The Women,’ but it also tells a nurse’s story, and a nurse’s story in Vietnam through her eyes, which is a perspective that we rarely get when it comes to stories from Vietnam.”

Library patrons did embrace plenty of books published in the last 12 months. The most popular 2025 fiction releases checked out using the library’s online Libby app were: “Great Big Beautiful Life,” Emily Henry; “Broken Country,” Clare Leslie Hall; “Onyx Storm,” Rebecca Yarros; “Atmosphere,” Taylor Jenkins Reid; “Say You’ll Remember Me,” Abby Jimenez; “Beautiful Ugly,” Alice Feeney; “Deep End,” Ali Hazelwood; “Don’t Let Him In,” Lisa Jewell; “One Golden Summer, Carley Fortune; “Strangers in Time,” David Baldacci; “Wild Dark Shore,” Charlotte McConaghy; “Three Days in June,” Anne Tyler; “My Friends,” Fredrik Backman; “The Perfect Divorce,” Jeneva Rose; and “Nightshade,” Michael Connelly.

“One of the biggest trends that we saw in this group is contemporary romances have been very popular,” Phemester said. “Emily Henry is very popular. Abby Jimenez and Ali Hazelwood continue to be popular. Romance is always a popular genre, but these contemporary authors have really taken off in the last few years. And I think that it’s a combination of things. They use social media well, they have a following, and they have readers on BookTalk and Bookstagram, who are promoting their books, and they tell stories that resonate.

“They have people that seem real. It’s not about the damsel in distress. It’s people in real situations. And it’s not just focusing on the romance, it’s also the relationship with other people. You’ve got lead characters who are, yes, they’re falling in love, but they’re also dealing with family stress or work situations, or new life situations. I think that those things all combine to really appeal to readers.”

Twelve of the 15 books were written by women.

“I don’t know if I would call it a trend just yet,” Phemester said. “I think last year and the year before, we were still seeing James Patterson, David Baldacci and Michael Connelly as very popular. Those kinds of thriller books are still popular, and I think I can safely say the authors in that genre are still heavily male, but we are seeing more female authors at the top of the list than before.”