


Librarians who budget and select items for availability allocated more resources last year, especially for kids, knowing that the pandemic might not quickly disappear and children might need things to do when not at school. The Digital Downloads Collaboration ranks 10th in the world for checkouts, with a combined circulation of 4,610,362 items last year, according to Simonds. I don’t think that can do anything but feed the growth of digital offerings," Simonds said in an email. "I think that while we were closed in 2020, new customers discovered the breadth and depth of our digital collections. Introducing many to the digital library, if only due to a health emergency, may be an opportunity for future growth, said Laura Simonds, the Columbus library system's director of collection services. Returned materials sit in bins, quarantined for up to a week before being re-shelved for checkout. But after virus spikes, they were forced to close. Since March, most branch libraries have tried limited openings for customers to use computers and pick up items. On Friday, Columbus announced that most of its 23 branches would re-open on a limited basis beginning Monday. But after the libraries were forced to close beginning March 14 due to the coronavirus, digital circulation climbed to 6,905 items per day, a 16% increase that has continued. The average daily digital circulation per day through March 13 last year was 5,946 items. In the Columbus Metropolitan Library system, there was a direct connection between branch closures and the uptick in digital downloads. And there are no worries about coronavirus-laden books for library staff or customers. Instead, with a library card and a few mouse clicks, Kindle or tablet downloads, readers never have to leave their homes. More than 95% of our libraries are offering curbside pickup, delivery, and by-appointment services," Jacobsen said.īut it's rare to see heavy traffic outside branch libraries for physical items. "Right now, most Ohioans are either downloading materials from the library or picking up physical items curbside. There was a more than 30% increase in digital book circulation last year - ebooks and audiobooks - over 2019, based on data from OverDrive, the Cleveland-based supplier for Columbus Metropolitan Library and 17 other area public libraries as part of the Digital Downloads Collaboration, a national supplier of digital materials.Įlevated interest in social justice titles and strong demand for children's books due to remote learning all are contributing factors for the increase, said Angie Jacobsen, spokeswoman for the Ohio Library Council.
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And you don't need to stand in line to get them.Įlectronic books, music and magazines are free at public libraries, easy to download and their popularity has risen as public libraries were forced to close last year.
