Signs of the times prompted Magness Library director Brad Walker to ask for an increase in the $110,000 operating expenses the library has received for years.
The library is asking for an additional $3,500 to pay for the Advantage Program for READS which will allow the library to purchase e-books.
This means people in Warren County can borrow e-books without having to wait in line behind everyone in the state. Any books that patrons download now must go through the state program.
“This means someone might have to wait seven months to read a new bestseller. With the Advantage Program, people will only have to wait maybe two to three weeks,” explained Walker. People in Warren County will only be competing with people in Warren County to be first in line for a new title.
Donna Eschenbacher, Magness Library patron, thinks this is a wonderful idea. “I think that would be great for me or anyone who uses their e-readers like I do to read books. I use my Kindle all the time. I would be very interested in that program.”
With the sales of Kindles, Nooks, and iPads increasing, more people are checking out e-books online.
Chaz McQuerry of Hastings in McMinnville did not know an exact number of e-readers that have been sold but said, “They do sell steadily.”
Magness Library’s circulation of e-books is almost 400 per month now. Walker says, “If we own our own books, circulation will definitely go up.”
The first $1,000 will be used to pay for the Advantage Program. The library will be credited with $500 of that money to buy e-books. The remaining $2,000 will be used to pay the monthly fee for buying best sellers.
Magness Library’s budget has stayed the same for several years. According to Pat Bigbee, library chairperson, “Our operational costs, i.e. staff, maintenance and utilities have all increased, while our budget has stayed the same. The staff has not received an increase in salary in several years and have always gone over and above the call of duty to ensure that the people of Warren County are being provided the highest quality of materials and services.”