Massanut Regional Library reports record circulation, expansion of services and a $10,000 NEA grant

A representative of Massanut Regional Library reported to the Page County Board of Supervisors that systemwide circulation and program participation rose in the last fiscal year.

The presenter said all seven branches, including the two in Page County, recorded their highest circulation in history across print, e-books and audiobooks, and that meeting-room use increased after the library added an online reservation system. Staff reported more than 50,000 program participants across roughly 2,400 programs in the last year and said the system’s total operating budget is about $3 million.

The presenter noted a major challenge: rising costs for e-books and audiobooks. "Ebook leases can be $60 or more and we don't get to keep them in many cases," the speaker said, adding that some eaudiobooks can cost more than $120 for a single copy. Library staff said digital-content costs are consuming a growing portion of the collection budget.

Staff described other service expansions: increased operating hours at each branch, a full-time young-adult specialist, expanded outreach to schools and day cares (including 102 monthly classroom visits in November), a community gear library with 257 checkouts, access cards for patrons without permanent addresses, and partnership programming with James Madison University and the FINRA Foundation for financial literacy.

Library staff said the system will launch a Big Read program on Feb. 28 funded by a $10,000 National Endowment for the Arts grant; staff said taxpayer dollars are not being used to fund that grant. The presenter said the library estimates it saved patrons more than $15 million last year through services, a figure calculated using published library savings calculators.

Supervisors praised the library’s work and asked about future plans to support economic development and small business outreach. The board received the report; no formal action was required.