Item:
Title
Budget Ordinance Amendment No. 21BCC000006 to Recognize Durham County Grant Revenue: Digital Collections and Large Print Funds from The Forest at Duke
Body
Date of BOCC Meeting: August 10, 2020
Request for Board Action:
Agenda Text
The Board is requested to approve Budget Ordinance No. 21BCC000006 to recognize $15,000 in grant revenue from the Durham Library Foundation awarded by The Forest at Duke. The funds are for the library to purchase ebooks, e-audio and large print books for the library's digital and large print collections during the fiscal year 2020-2021, ending June 30, 2021.
The first week the library was closed due to COVID-19, circulation of all Overdrive collections rose 32% over the prior week. In the month after the library closed on March 15, over 9,000 Durham County Library patrons checked out 43,000 ebook and e-audio titles and placed almost 25,000 holds.
Even after stay-at-home orders are lifted and the library reopens, demand for ebooks and e-audio will likely remain high as patrons may be cautious to return to public spaces or, in the case of those who previously had not used these collections, may find they prefer digital materials. Grant funding from The Forest at Duke for ebooks and e-audio will increase access and reduce wait times for both veteran and new users of these formats.
Prior to the closure due to the pandemic, the library experienced increased circulation of large print books from July 2019 through February 2020 as compared to the same period the previous fiscal year. Large print best sellers attract significant holds queues just as regular editions do, and these funds will enable selection librarians to purchase more titles and copies to support the ongoing interest of the community in large print materials.
Alignment with Strategic Plan: This aligns with Strategic Goal 5: Accountable, Efficient, and Visionary Government, Customer Engagement and Responsiveness.
Resource Persons: Tammy Baggett,...
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