Montgomery County’s seven public libraries saw a significant increase in business last year and much of the growth is attributed to the poor economy.

As part of its annual survey for the Texas Library System, the Montgomery County Memorial Library System reported a 12 percent increase in visitors to local libraries between fiscal year 2008 and 2009 and a jump of 41 percent in those attending programs during the same period, library director Jerilynn Williams said.

“A lot of people are seeking jobs,” Williams told Montgomery County Commissioners Court on Monday. “We saw a 41 percent increase in program attendance. A lot of people did not take vacations this year and decided to take part in the programs.”

Circulation of library materials also grew more than 12 percent, despite a significant cut to the collections budget this year.

“We are having more of a turnover rate because of the lack of new items,” Williams said.

In 2009, a total of 1.4 million people used the six libraries in the county, located in The Woodlands, Conroe, Magnolia, Montgomery, New Caney and Willis, up from 1.2 million visitors the previous year. They checked out 1.9 million books and other materials, compared to 1.7 million in the previous year.

Public offerings by the library, which include children’s programs, meetings or other activities, drew nearly 142,000 people in 2009, compared to about 101,000 in 2008.