Coshocton library loaned 301,751 items in 2022
COSHOCTON − Numbers in general for the Coshocton Public Library aren't at levels they were before the COVID-19 pandemic, but did increase for 2022 over 2021.
Director Jennifer Austin said they loaned more than 300,000 items last year. While most of those were physical items, close to 225,000, more than 77,000 loans were via digital means. She said digital use has skyrocketed since the pandemic and those figures don't look to go back down. Digital materials borrowed in 2021 were 68,035.
Austin said during the pandemic people realized what an asset the library could be not only for digital materials, but for crucial internet access with 30 mobile wi-fi hot spots.
Austin said the devices have a waiting list and there are many regular users who return the hot spot and then get back on the list to get again. One can check them out for two weeks at a time. Internet access must be available in your area, they don't give access where some sort of wireless signal isn't available.
Austin said users are a mix of those who can't afford internet connectivity or don't want to pay for internet service.
"People are very appreciative of this service. When we first launched it we heard a lot of stories. In part, it was people who couldn't afford (internet) and some people who are just using their devices, like a smart phone, at home and using an active service plan that way," Austin said. "It's a really great connection for most people."
Other unique items the library loans include kits to help older adults with memory retention, juvenile character kits that are book related, sensory toys, cornhole sets, large Jenga sets and Launchpads with preloaded educational games for youth. It also distributed more than 1,000 COVID-19 tests in partnership with the State of Ohio and the Coshocton Public Health District.
"When you think of libraries you tend to think of traditional books," Austin said. "Just like the physical collection, special collections are unique to the community and represent the needs of the community. We look for and are always listening for things not offered, different or are hard to obtain that we can offer to the community. The value to the library is that it keeps patrons engaged, even if you're not a book reader."
Austin said one of the most important elements for the library's continued success is the partnerships and community involvement they received from individuals, businesses and other entities. It's a list of more than 135 who have donated time, materials or funding in the past year.
Last year the library also received a $1,000 American Library Association's Grant for a Let's Talk About It series on women's suffrage. Austin said it was a national competitive grant process. This included chartering a bus for a trip to the home of Harriet Taylor Upton in Warren and the site of Sojourner Truth's women's rights convention speech from 1851 in Akron.
"It was all available free of charge to community members because of the grant and local community support we received," Austin said.
Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with more than 15 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com. Follow him on Twitter at @llhayhurst.
Coshocton Public Library by the numbers for 2022
Loans and Visitors
Total loans: 301,751
Physical items loaned: 224,239
Digital materials loaned: 77,512
Visitors in-person: 108,716
Visitors by digital: 2,953
Reference questions answered: 19,088
Internet sessions: 6,808
Wireless internet users: 5,475
Programs
Total programs offered: 680
Total attendance: 10,687
Total visits for deliveries: 539
Collection
Physical items: 106,661
Consortium items: 8.1 million
OverDrive digital items: 657,345
Hoopla digital items: 1,315,545
This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Coshocton library loaned 301,751 items in 2022
