Eagle Public Library reports record circulation, shifts vendors after Baker & Taylor exit
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Summary
Library staff told trustees the system closed the year with 758,000 combined physical and digital checkouts and described an industry disruption after longtime distributor Baker & Taylor went out of business; the library plans to move most standing orders to Ingram with Amazon as a contingency.
Eagle Public Library staff told the Board of Trustees on Oct. 15 that the library closed its fiscal year with 758,000 combined digital and physical items checked out, and that the library is changing how it buys books after distributor Baker & Taylor ceased operations.
Library staff said the circulation figure — described at the meeting as “by far the busiest year that we’ve had” — reflects both digital and physical items. The staff presentation included an infographic summarizing the totals.
The staff report then turned to publisher and distributor relationships. “Baker and Taylor, the library's principal vendor of print materials, is going out of business,” library staff said, adding that the company served “something like 6,000 libraries.” Staff said the library has been negotiating with other vendors and plans to set up standing orders with Ingram, the distributor it already uses for some purchases.
“I'm really happy with the numbers,” the staff member added when summarizing circulation. On the vendor disruption, staff cautioned that while Ingram has told the library it can handle increased volume, there may be delays because of the scale of orders: “They are really backlogged right now.”
Trustees asked follow-up questions about contingency plans and procurement. Staff said the library would use Amazon only as a last resort if other suppliers cannot fill orders, and that the library already received some shipments from Amazon during the transition. Staff estimated that, depending on the month, about 80–90% of the library’s purchases come through a single distributor (Ingram or its equivalent) and that the percentage can vary month to month.
Board members also asked about budget and courier charges. Staff said a quarterly invoice item described at the meeting (approximately $3,082) might be for courier services, and that how much an individual library pays to a consortium or courier depends on volume and pickup frequency. A trustee asked to receive a year-to-date budget summary showing spending so far and remaining funds; staff agreed to provide that information.
Trustees did not take formal action on vendor selection during the meeting. The board’s comments and the staff report indicate the library will proceed with Ingram for standing orders and monitor delivery delays as other distributors absorb Baker & Taylor’s former customers.
Next steps noted at the meeting: staff will finalize standing orders with Ingram, continue to source titles from alternate vendors as needed, and provide trustees with requested budget detail on acquisitions and courier costs.