These funds will expand digital access countywide!
In October 2020, Delaware County Council approved $600,000 in CARES funding for Delaware County Libraries to expand digital resources across the County. These monies are part of a larger grant awarded to the County.
With this funding, Delaware County Libraries will be adding new services and increasing some existing services. We are expanding wireless service to extend outside of library buildings and into library grounds and parking lots. Patrons will be able to park their cars or pull up a chair outside of libraries to connect to the internet, even if library buildings are closed. Delaware County Libraries will also have 100 new hotspots available for checkout for internet use at home or on the go. The checkout period will be 3 weeks.
A portion of funds received is also committed to providing access to Hoopla countywide. Hoopla is a digital media service that allows you to borrow movies, music, audiobooks, ebooks, comics, and TV shows to enjoy on your computer, tablet, or phone, with no wait times! Titles can be streamed immediately, or downloaded to phones or tablets to view later. There are over 800,000 titles to choose from, with more being added daily. Titles are automatically returned and removed from your device at the end of the lending period.
Delaware County Libraries has also expanded their ebook and audiobook collection in OverDrive and the Libby app. We have purchased titles to support students and schools in the county, including Reading Olympics titles. Additional copies of popular titles have also been purchased in order to shorten wait times, which have lengthened due to temporary library closures from March to June.
This funding will also enable the library system to reimburse independent local libraries for all juvenile fines in excess of $20, which is the point at which library service is restricted. This will permit 4956 kids and teens in the county to once again have open access to everything Delaware County Libraries has to offer.
“We are pleased that County Council granted us these funds in order to expand our digital resources to residents all over the County in the midst of this pandemic,” said Delaware County Libraries Director Catherine Bittle. “Although libraries were able to successfully pivot by implementing contactless pickup and virtual programming, we recognize our role in the recovery process. Delaware County residents, and especially our children, may be facing difficulties because of lack of access to the internet and digital resources, and our priority is to narrow the digital divide.”
Delaware County Libraries is an agency of county government that provides support services for 26 independent member libraries. For information about the wide range of library services available to all county residents, visit www.delcolibraries.org.
