by Kathleen Kase, Acquisitions Librarian

The Library’s collections are constantly growing and changing to reflect your needs and interests. Who chooses all those books? We’re always happy to say, ‘You do!’

We align our print and digital selection based on the subjects, genres, formats, media, and age-levels that our patrons ask for and check out. Every time you borrow an item, it’s a vote for that type of item—whether a print book, audiobook, movie, or digital download.

We always welcome suggestions for specific titles. Of the thousands of titles added last year, several hundred were based on patron requests. Often, people ask if we have a new book they just heard about, but might say, “Don’t go to the trouble of getting it just for me.” Well, chances are, if you’re interested in reading it, others are too. So please keep giving us your suggestions—in person or through the “We’ll Get it For You!” link at estesvalleylibrary.org.

Sure, some requests are for out-of-print items or very niche interest areas. For those, we can happily borrow materials from other Colorado libraries. We processed 5,800 Interlibrary Loan requests in 2018.

We monitor publishing trends, comb through book reviews, and strive for a balance of ideas. Yet I can’t stress enough how much we welcome and rely upon your recommendations.

We also track Hold Requests lists. When we see items with a waiting list of more than four people, we order more copies, whatever the format. If we need it fast, I call our friends at Macdonald Book Shop and we buy it local.

New in 2019 is the Lucky Day collection. Rather than having to wait weeks for a bestseller or popular title to work its way through the request list, you’ll discover a selection of hot new titles in stock every day. These are great for fast readers. They check out for one week: no wait, no hassles.

With library collections, the numbers always tell a fascinating story. Of the 41,000-plus items in our physical collection, 20% are in adult fiction, 21% are in adult nonfiction, and 18% in audio-visual (audiobooks, movies, and music). You checked out 133,210 physical items in 2018.

Factor in the amazing 640,000-plus items in our digital collections, and you’ve got a world-class library collection at your fingertips.

You checked out 20,526 digital items in 2018, and that trend continues to grow rapidly. If you haven’t tried a digital format, check out the helpful instructions on our website, or join us for a Book-A-Librarian appointment. We’re delighted to show you how it works. We are grateful to the Library Friends & Foundation for supporting our popular digital collections.

Going forward, we’ll continue to grow both our physical and digital collections. And we’ll continue to support the needs of local book clubs, while celebrating book discussion in our community.

We are always pleased to offer library collections that reflect your needs, interests, curiosities, and aspirations.