Welcome to 2022!  While every new year brings changes, endings, and new beginnings, one thing that remains constant is the determination and commitment of public libraries and library staff around the world to assess the new landscape and navigate new pathways to better serve people in our communities.  During the pandemic, increased demand for digital content led to record checkouts of e-books, e-audios, and e-magazines on the Libby reading app.  It’s good news that people are using our digital materials more often, but the new challenge is that holds lists on some titles have gotten lengthier, so you may have had to wait longer on your titles. 

 

Some creative library leaders around Indiana and especially at the Indiana State Library are working on a solution—they are proposing a statewide consortium called the Indiana Digital Library comprising medium and small libraries all over the state that, in force, will have a stronger bargaining position to negotiate a really terrific deal with Overdrive.  Overdrive is the e-book, e-audio, and e-magazine supplier behind the “Libby” app you may be familiar with.  Some libraries, like Cambridge City Public Library, already participate in smaller consortia, but this large, statewide consortium would greatly expand the variety and number of titles available. 

 

This proposed partnership would not increase the amount of money libraries pay to Overdrive for digital content, but by pooling our resources, it should provide users access to many more titles than they would otherwise have.  Another great benefit is that we would establish a rotating team of librarians from around Indiana who would be responsible for monitoring local demand and selecting appropriate content.  This would be a great improvement for small libraries like ours that do not have enough staff to dedicate someone to selecting e-materials.  I am hopeful that the Indiana Digital Library will soon be established, and I hope you will be pleasantly surprised by the selection and shortened wait times for e-media!

 

January events have been scaled back while the omicron wave passes through our area.  Look up our Facebook page on Wednesday mornings at 10:30 am throughout January to find a new video  of Ms. Kim sharing stories for children online.

 

Evening Book Club meets Tuesday, January 25 at 6:30 pm at the Cambridge City Public Library at 600 West Main to discuss The Last Ballad by Wiley Cash.

 

Our Senior Center Book Club meets Wednesday, January 26, at 1:00 pm at the Golay Center, 1007 East Main, to discuss The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak.

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If you need help with a resume, a job search, or other projects on the computer, please call the library at 765-478-3335 to schedule a time to work with Jodi Johnson, retired business teacher.

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We welcome families with preschoolers to enroll in our popular 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program. Registering and logging books for this program is available online through our READsquared app that you can download to your smartphone or tablet. This program encourages families to read 1,000 books with their children before they enter kindergarten. Your child will get a free book from the library to keep after every 100 books read. When your family has read 1,000 books, your child will earn a special prize.