Butler County libraries adapt to changes
Butler County’s public libraries have long been pillars of community knowledge and resources, serving as hubs for information, education and social connection.
As community needs evolve, library systems adapt to meet the demand while struggling with some of the same challenges they have faced year after year.
Financial constraints continue to be one of the biggest obstacles for most community libraries, said Lori Hinderliter, executive director of the Butler Area Public Library.
“It’s always a financial challenge to be able to meet the needs of our community, when like everywhere else, our expenses keep going up,” she said. “The price of utilities and books are going up, and we have to sustain our services with the resources we have.”
Donations from the community decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hinderliter said, before peaking right afterward and then leveling off.
Janae Callihan, Mars Area Public Library director, said budgetary constraints continue to be one of their biggest challenges as well.
“Every library is limited to what their budget allows them to do,” she said. “We have to create a balance between our physical collection and resources, as well as our digital collection and resources.”
Callihan said most people don’t realize how expensive it is to purchase e-books, audiobooks and online databases for public use over time.
“When purchasing a physical copy, we only have to worry about wear and tear when it comes to replacement. Whereas digital material, such as e-books, may have a lending model which allows only a certain amount of checkouts before having to repurchase or a shelf life of a year or two before having to decide whether to repurchase.”
Mars library belongs to the New Castle Library District, which allows member libraries to pool their financial resources to chip in for digital access. Butler library also belongs to the district.
Hinderliter said titles under the Libby app generally allow only so many checkouts of a digital title before it must be repurchased. Another platform, Hoopla, requires subscribing to a collection.
“It offers unlimited checkouts, but it can be a little more costly,” she said. “But it’s worth it for the unlimited checkouts.”
Hinderliter and Callihan said with the rise of digital resources, they have noticed a decline in checkouts for physical copies of books. Greater accessibility may be behind the preference switch, Hinderliter said.
“People may have physical disabilities that prevent them from coming in person, and others may work hours that aren’t aligned with when we’re open,” she said.
Callihan said areas where physical book checkouts remain strong at her library are in the youth department, nonfiction and ongoing fiction series.
“Patrons are using both formats depending on their needs and preferences,” she said. “Many like to listen to e-audiobooks while they walk or drive, but prefer the comfort of a physical book when it comes time to sit down and read.”
Martin Miller, Butler County Community College’s dean of library services, said digital assets have opened a door for the college to provide a wealth of information it couldn’t before.
Students can access digital collections from anywhere by using their unique login codes. At present, circulation of physical books is 25% of what it was 20 years ago, Miller said.
“But we have 40,000 print books in our collection and over 100,000 e-books,” he noted.
For now, BC3 gives prominence to digital collections because they’re what students seem to prefer. Flipster is a new asset, allowing students to access periodicals on their smartphones.
“It’s experimental, just started it last month,” Miller said. “We’ll look at the statistics to see how well it’s being used and adjust our strategy from there.”
While the library caters mostly to BC3 students, it is available to Butler area residents. To access the library’s materials, residents must apply for a free library card. They can’t log in remotely to the system, but they can use any of the materials when visiting the library in person, Miller said. The library is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday.
Regardless of the patrons served, public libraries have found themselves adapting to meet the evolving needs of the communities they serve.
For the last few years, Butler Area Public Library has offered one-on-one sessions with staff to help people navigate issues. They can request help with resumes, using a cellphone, creating an email account or anything else related to using an electronic device, Hinderliter said.
“We also have staff members who go out into the community more to do programs at parks, senior centers and other nontraditional locations to reach community members who aren’t coming to the library,” she said.
Callihan said the Mars library staff focuses on community engagement, partnering with local organizations or events, educational programs, and expanding their outreach services to local preschools and senior centers.
“The library’s goal is to be the hub of the community to inspire learning, creativity and community,” she said.
Besides offering more digital resources to meet demand, Miller said BC3’s library provides access to other resources students need.
One popular program occurs around finals time each semester. The Butler Dog Training Association brings dogs being trained as comfort/therapy dogs to help students with stress and anxiety as they prepare for their tests.
“The students flood to see them,” Miller said. “They love it.”
Hinderliter said while priorities and preferences may change, one thing remains constant: Libraries are here to help the community.
“I know there’s a lot of misinformation out there that we’re not relevant,” she said. “But we’re here to help you navigate whatever you may need.”
This article first appeared in the January edition of Butler County Business Matters.
