Library Given $20,000 for More E-books and E-audiobooks
The Doug and Rae Nickell Family Fund at the Community Foundation of the Ozarks has designated a $20,000 gift to purchase e-books and e-audiobooks for the Springfield-Greene County Library collection.
The gift will allow the library to add about 360 items, which library card holders can check out electronically through the library. The additions will include titles in all age levels to help expand the collection overall, and help reduce the number of holds on most popular items.
“Rae and I have been avid consumers of public library resources since being old enough to read,” said Doug Nickell. “We still visit the library routinely and access e-audiobooks almost daily. We think public libraries are among the most valuable resources communities can provide and that the Springfield-Greene County Library is one of the best. We appreciate everything the Library does and are happy to be able to provide some support, especially during these trying times."
Even when the library was closed and physical books were unavailable from March 17 to May 26, 2020, to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, library card holders were still able to check out e-books, e-audiobooks and use other digital products. In that time, the library recorded a significant jump in use of the digital books. In addition, 915 people checked out e-books/e-audiobooks for the first time, and the average wait for items was 42 days.
That pattern continues, said Library Development Director Melissa Adler.
“During this pandemic, more and more library cardholders are using digital resources. This donation directly impacts our ability to keep people entertained, engaged and informed while staying safe at home.”
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