I just put the finishing touches on Roseburg Public Library’s annual report to the State Library of Oregon, and the most striking statistics centered on electronic books and audiobooks.
Circulation of electronic materials rose to more than 20% of all checkouts in fiscal year 2020 compared with about 5% in 2019. That corresponds to 18,650 electronic audiobooks and books.
I attribute the increase in part to adding OverDrive’s Library2Go platform. Longtime library patrons are familiar with this product made possible by the Oregon Digital Library Consortium. The collection includes 96,000 items for readers of all ages, and I recommend it especially for its deep backlist of series titles. Because the collection is shared by library users across the state, wait times for holds of new materials in particular may be extensive.
Roseburg Public Library patrons overwhelmingly use the Library2Go platform. However, the library’s second option, cloudLibrary, generates more than 500 checkouts each month. The library is part of a loosely based consortium with libraries in Albany, Clackamas County, Corvallis-Benton County and Salem that shares access to 15,000-plus items. cloudLibrary complements Library2Go because its strength is short wait times for new and popular titles.
The other key change in our world was COVID-19. Checkouts of physical materials dropped significantly during the library’s drive-up-only service between March 26 and June 25. At the same time, there was an uptick in electronic usage. In addition, the library received a grant to purchase e-books and e-audiobooks to facilitate local usage. We focused on purchasing popular titles for adults and ensuring local patrons have access to the latest Oregon Battle of the Books titles as well as classic audiobooks for youth.
I appreciate patrons’ desire for physical materials; there is just something about holding a book in your hands. With that in mind, the library expended about $62,000 on books last year, and there are 76,000 total items in the building.
Still, I urge all patrons to explore the world of electronic materials, which exponentially expand the library’s collection. E-books and e-audiobooks are compatible with virtually every device on the market, from smartphones to tablets. Patrons can listen to an audiobook using a vehicle’s Bluetooth, replacing compact discs. I am never without a book as long as I have my phone.
Patrons can get started by downloading the Libby app for OverDrive and cloudLibrary app, both available for free. The default login is library card number (no spaces) and phone number (10 digits, no spaces). Library staff is available to assist; contact us at library@cityofroseburg.org or 541-492-7050, or stop by the main desk.
"Electronic" - Google News
September 20, 2020 at 11:15PM
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Roseburg Public Library's electronic materials are popular - NRToday.com
"Electronic" - Google News
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