Libraries prepare for increased digital use
Libraries were among the first places to close their doors to the public when the coronavirus hit Connecticut, prompting patrons to turn to digital borrowing and virtual programs.
The quarantine has led to a tidal wave of new users for libraries’ digital services, especially those that allow for virtual borrowing and streaming, including Overdrive and Hoopla. Some libraries report their usage numbers have more than doubled and in some cases quadrupled.
Most libraries expect some of that surge to continue once libraries reopen, but still say borrowing traditional books will reign supreme.
“It really is amazing,” said Amanda Gilbertie, Danbury’s Digital Services Librarian.
Danbury Library saw a 200 percent increase in new Hoopla registrants this April compared to last and the number of Overdrive users grew 394 percent in that same period, Gilbertie said.
Brookfield had a 230 percent jump in its digital borrowing usage compared to this point last year. A more telling figure though is the 400 percent increase in the number of users for digital services.
Beth Dominianni, director of Mark Twain Library in Redding, reported a 25 percent increase over an “already robust usage” of digital services.
“I expect we’ll continue to see an uptick,” she said. “We’ve enrolled a great number of new users in these systems and I expect they’ll continue to use them even after the quarantine because they see the value.”
Librarians suspect the quarantine has increased the number of patrons using digital services — especially as they become more comfortable with these platforms — but don’t expect it to surpass the actual borrowing of physical books and other items.
About 20 percent of the 130,000 items borrowed last year through Brookfield Library was digital, said executive director Yvonne Cech. She expects that percentage to be higher this year
with the library physically closed during the pandemic, but doesn’t expect it to hit 50 percent.
“With this kind of an increase, I know we will exceed that number greatly,” she said. “What I don’t know is how many of these new users will adopt this as their preferred platform.”
She’s hearing that people are overloaded by screentime and will welcome the traditional books. She said studies have shown traditional books are more calming because they aren’t backlit and reading comprehension suffers by 10 percent when people read on a screen instead of paper.
Cech expects this preference to continue even for younger generations who have grown up with screens.
Library staff surveyed middle and high school students last year about whether they preferred to read traditional books, e-books or a mix of both and the “landslide majority was reading a traditional book,” Cech said.
She said digital books have their advantages too, especially because they don’t take up as much space.
“We know digital is here to stay,” she said.
Gilbertie foresees a dropoff in the number of people signing up for the digital services, but expects those who did during the quarantine to still take advantage of the library’s digital resources.
“You simply can't beat the convenience and portability of digital services,” she said. “You can access them anywhere at any time. Our patrons know that and they like it.”
Phasing back to normal
Libraries are included in the second phase of the state’s reopening plan, though they were closed at the local level, not the state.
Curbside pickup for borrowed items is the first stage of most libraries’ reopening plans.
Russel Library in Middletown, Burnham Library in Bridgewater, New Milford Library, Cragin Memorial Library in Colchester, the East Haddam Library System, East Hampton Public Library and the Portland Library already offer or will begin offering the service in the coming days.
The rest of the libraries’ services might take longer to resume, including in-person activities. This means, many libraries plan to continue services they rolled out during the quarantine, such as online programs.
Brookfield Library has moved its townwide read and summer reading program online.
Most libraries will continue to host virtual programs until they can open to large groups again. Even then, some are considering continuing the streaming option to reach a broader audience, such as homebound patrons.
“Reaching those patrons who cannot come into the library has always been a goal for us,” Gilbertie said. “Now that we know that offering programs and services via digital platforms is a viable option, I think we're going to continue to do so even as patrons are able to come into the library physically. There's simply no downside to making sure our programs and services are accessible to all.”
Expanding digital options
Dominianni said Mark Twain Library is rolling out RBdigital, a new streaming service that increase patrons’ access to BBC titles, documentaries, indie films and learning courses.
They’ve also added more money to the Hoopla budget to cover the increased demand since the agreement is set up based on the usage.
Both Danbury and Brookfield adjusted their budgets to build their digital collections.
“We have definitely increased our spending on those platforms that offer digital content,” Gilbertie.
“We had to adjust our budget in order to meet the changing needs of our patrons and I'm very proud to say that we've done a great job of it.”
Cech said they reallocated the rest of their book money for the year to buy digital titles and will revisit traditional book purchases in the next fiscal year. One of the challenges is that e-books are so much more expensive to buy than traditional books because of how publishers price them.
The e-books can’t be read simultaneously and so patrons wait for those copies to become available, much like they would a traditional book. A traditional adult book usually costs a library about $22 to $24, with some processing to be able to put it in the catalog and on the shelf. An ebook doesn’t have that processing, but it usually costs at least
$50 with some titles exceeding
$100, Cech said.
“We cannot maintain a digital catalog with the same budget we have,” she said.
Cech said they will continue to offer and expand both options.
“Both are very popular,” she said. “We’re happy to offer any platform we can get our hands on.”