The Cortez Public Library is implementing a new platform to house and distribute its digital collection this month, looking toward expanded offerings in its ebook and audiobook department and opening the possibility of offering movies.
“For our patrons, we're hoping that it'll provide a bit wider access to materials, and then based on patrons’ interests, we'll be able to expand that collection,” Library Director LeRoy Harris said.
Currently, the library partners with CloudLibrary to provide patrons access to a host of reading materials without having to step foot in the building. But, on Aug. 18, it will be replaced with Hoopla, which has a broader collection of more than one million titles that the library can request access to.
“It’ll be the same amount initially to start with, but Hoopla is a larger vendor than CloudLibrary,” Harris said. “So, there willbe a much wider selection as we go forward.”
If patrons can’t find the next awaited book in their current favorite romance series or if their search for the audiobook recommended by their favorite podcaster leaves them empty-handed, they can contact the library via phone or in-person to request it be added to their Hoopla collection.
“The nice thing about adding to our digital collection – as long as it's the right licensing type anyway – is that once we order it, it's usually available within 24 hours. Whereas with physical items, they have to be shipped and then arrive, and we have to catalog and process them, and then add them to the physical collection,” Harris said.
Harris added that digital resources can be incredibly valuable for a library’s patrons, particularly those in Cortez and the surrounding rural areas of Montezuma County.
“They're important, especially in our area, for people who maybe don't get into the library very often, whether that's due to work or travel,” Harris said. “Some people physically aren't able to come into the library whether that be due to disability or illness or sometimes even incarceration. And the library wants to provide as much access to people as we can to open up the world to people and give them a chance to enjoy what's out there.”
Patrons will lose access to CloudLibrary Aug. 17, with any books they have checked out via the app or website automatically returned. The next day, patrons can download the Hoopla app and use their same library card number and password.
“We're excited to be able to expand these offerings for our patrons and hope that if people have any questions or need any assistance, that they'll just contact us, stop in and let us know,” Harris said.
avanderveen@the-journal.com
