Fairfield library to debut smart phone app, online streaming service

FAIRFIELD — The Fairfield Public Library is debuting a slew of new features and programs on Sept. 1, to coincide with the American Library Association’s celebration of September as Library Card Sign-up Month.

The new things to look for at the library include a selection of colorful library cards for patrons who sign up in September, a new app just for the Fairfield Public Library, and free access to an on-demand streaming service called Hoopla, which offers digital books, music, movies and more.

Fairfield Public Library Director Alecs Mickunas said Library Card Sign-up Month is the perfect time for the Fairfield library to debut these new features, to get residents excited about coming to the library. In fact, the library has already enjoyed great success at increasing usage of its materials.

“In the last fiscal year, we saw a 10 percent increase in usage for all our resources,” Mickunas said. “We had more than 10,000 more visitors last year than in the previous year. People are seriously returning to the library, and the greatest increase in usage is happening with our online resources like e-books and e-audio books. That’s why we’re expanding those resources for the community.”

Regarding the library card initiative, the Fairfield library has never offered colorful library cards until now. Those who sign up for a new card have a choice between a couple of designs prepared by the American Library Association featuring art by children’s illustrator Jon Klassen, and that features the ALA’s “Banned Books Week.”

“These cards celebrate libraries’ stand against censorship,” Mickunas said. “We call this initiative, ‘Let Freedom Read.’ People can get these cards to take a stand against book censorship, or just enjoy some nice illustrations.”

Just for the month of September, replacing a library card will be free, and any patron is eligible to receive a new card. Mickunas said it normally costs $2 to replace a lost card.

Sept. 1 will be the debut of the Fairfield Public Library’s smart phone app called MyLibro. Mickunas said this will make navigating the library’s catalog so much easier. E-books and e-audio books are searchable in the library’s catalog, and these can be downloaded in MyLibro. Patrons can also use the app to ask questions of library staff.

Finally, the other major feature coming to library patrons is the streaming service, Hoopla. Mickunas said Hoopla is similar to Amazon Kindle Unlimited or Audible in that it offers on-demand borrowing of e-books, e-audio books, e-magazines, music and movies. It has more than 850,000 titles, and adds about 10,000 every month. There is no wait time to check out an item.

Mickunas said Hoopla charges the library for each item that is checked out digitally, so the library is limiting users to five selections per month.

“It’s a system where we pay as we go,” he said. “In the first year, I expect it to cost about $6,000, and it will increase after that. It’s definitely within our budget for the first year, and the library would welcome contributions to allow us to continue offering this resource.”

Mickunas said that Hoopla makes his job and the job of his staff easier, since they don’t have to guess which books will be popular with patrons.

“This takes all the guesswork out because the content is digital,” he said. “It’s a huge savings to our patrons, who would otherwise have to pay a monthly subscription, or just purchase a physical book.”

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com

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