Patty Winsa
It looks like e-books are easy reading.
The Toronto Public Library is reporting that digital downloads from its site will hit 500,000 this year, double the number from 2010 and more than 10 times what they were in 2007.
“This is a huge jump,” said Anne Marie Aikins, the library’s manager of community relations. “And incidentally, book borrowing is increasing slightly as well, so the book isn’t dead. That's for sure.” The library had its busiest year in 2010, with 18 million visits and 32 million items circulated.
But the library may have to limit additions to its digital and print collections this year, as it searches for ways to cut the mandated 10 per cent — or $17 million — from its 2011 operating budget to reduce the city’s deficit.
The recommended staff cuts will be released Thursday afternoon in advance of Monday’s library board meeting. Although Aikins wouldn’t say what the recommendations involved, she did say closing library branches isn’t one of them.
Seventy-five per cent of the library’s operating budget goes toward paying staff. The remaining 25 per cent covers new purchases and maintaining and operating buildings.
Staff have already identified about $4 million in savings by reorganizing the way books are circulated throughout the system and automating check-out service, which it has already completed in 40 branches throughout the city.
“In general, our focus was to try and leave customer service intact but look at where technology could help us,” says City Librarian Jane Pyper. Staff were also offered a voluntary separation package.
The library currently spends a small percentage of its acquisition budget on e-books, which only really took off about four years ago when Kindle released its first e-reader. But demand has been “skyrocketing,” says Pyper.
Currently, borrowers can download material using devices such as the Kobo and Sony readers and the iPad and iPhone. But one of the most popular readers, the Kindle, isn’t on the list because of an exclusive deal with Amazon.
However, just last month it was announced in the U.S. that public libraries and schools can now lend e-books for the Amazon Kindle through OverDrive, the same company that distributes e-books for the Toronto Public Library.
Pyper says the challenge for Toronto branches is maintaining a collection that has the depth to meet the economic and linguistic diversity across the city. That means providing e-books and printed books, but also providing free access to magazines such as The New Yorker and National Geographic, and free Internet access and wi-fi.
“I think (e-books) will be a very important part of our future, a big growth area,” says Pyper. But “there are many people for whom e-books aren’t a reality, who have other language needs or are adult learners with low literacy levels. The wonderful thing about our collection is it speaks to all those interests across the city.”
LIBRARY GROWTH
Total circulation
2007: 28.9 million
2010: 32.3 million
E-downloads
(includes digital books, audio books and reference material)
2007: 39,001
2010: 257,715
Visits
2007: 16.3 million
2010: 18.3 million
From, Toronto Star
It looks like e-books are easy reading.
The Toronto Public Library is reporting that digital downloads from its site will hit 500,000 this year, double the number from 2010 and more than 10 times what they were in 2007.
“This is a huge jump,” said Anne Marie Aikins, the library’s manager of community relations. “And incidentally, book borrowing is increasing slightly as well, so the book isn’t dead. That's for sure.” The library had its busiest year in 2010, with 18 million visits and 32 million items circulated.
But the library may have to limit additions to its digital and print collections this year, as it searches for ways to cut the mandated 10 per cent — or $17 million — from its 2011 operating budget to reduce the city’s deficit.
The recommended staff cuts will be released Thursday afternoon in advance of Monday’s library board meeting. Although Aikins wouldn’t say what the recommendations involved, she did say closing library branches isn’t one of them.
Seventy-five per cent of the library’s operating budget goes toward paying staff. The remaining 25 per cent covers new purchases and maintaining and operating buildings.
Staff have already identified about $4 million in savings by reorganizing the way books are circulated throughout the system and automating check-out service, which it has already completed in 40 branches throughout the city.
“In general, our focus was to try and leave customer service intact but look at where technology could help us,” says City Librarian Jane Pyper. Staff were also offered a voluntary separation package.
The library currently spends a small percentage of its acquisition budget on e-books, which only really took off about four years ago when Kindle released its first e-reader. But demand has been “skyrocketing,” says Pyper.
Currently, borrowers can download material using devices such as the Kobo and Sony readers and the iPad and iPhone. But one of the most popular readers, the Kindle, isn’t on the list because of an exclusive deal with Amazon.
However, just last month it was announced in the U.S. that public libraries and schools can now lend e-books for the Amazon Kindle through OverDrive, the same company that distributes e-books for the Toronto Public Library.
Pyper says the challenge for Toronto branches is maintaining a collection that has the depth to meet the economic and linguistic diversity across the city. That means providing e-books and printed books, but also providing free access to magazines such as The New Yorker and National Geographic, and free Internet access and wi-fi.
“I think (e-books) will be a very important part of our future, a big growth area,” says Pyper. But “there are many people for whom e-books aren’t a reality, who have other language needs or are adult learners with low literacy levels. The wonderful thing about our collection is it speaks to all those interests across the city.”
LIBRARY GROWTH
Total circulation
2007: 28.9 million
2010: 32.3 million
E-downloads
(includes digital books, audio books and reference material)
2007: 39,001
2010: 257,715
Visits
2007: 16.3 million
2010: 18.3 million
From, Toronto Star
No comments:
Post a Comment