Davenport library reports dementia-friendly designation, digital collection expansion and interlibrary loan changes

The Davenport Public Library reported several operational changes and community partnerships May 20 during the Library Board of Trustees meeting.

Library Director Jeff said the library received a dementia-friendly designation on April 24, a recognition he said “indicates that we're committed to creating that welcoming and safe, and respectful space for people that are living with dementia and their caregivers.” He said the designation followed staff training and that the library plans to include the designation in its communications package and reach out to partner organizations.

Jeff also told trustees the library decided to disaffiliate from Mobius as part of the OpenRS product project for interlibrary loan and is using the state library’s silo program as an interim service. “We still are providing interlibrary loan service using the state library's silo program,” he said, adding staff are exploring options to regain access to materials outside the state.

On digital collections, Jeff said the library will join the Bridal Consortium, which he said “is gonna essentially quadruple the size of our collection of ebooks and our digital audiobooks.” He described a rough estimate of added titles: “an additional 75,000 ebooks, an additional 25,000 or so, digital audiobooks,” and said the library will reallocate funds—largely from declining physical audiobook formats—to cover the consortium costs.

Trustees and staff also discussed a library social work position previously funded with ARPA money. Jeff said that the ARPA funding for that position had to be encumbered by late December 2024, and because it was encumbered for that role the funds cannot be moved to other purposes. He said the library is exploring alternatives, including internships, practicums and participation in a Quad Cities Open Network (QC CAN) proposal to fund social workers who would visit local public libraries.

Board members asked about downtown safety and outreach. Jeff said library staff met with the Downtown Davenport Partnership (DDP) and Davenport Police Department about downtown safety efforts. He clarified the downtown cleaning work he referenced relates to trash cans that DDP places and empties in the downtown area.

On state and federal developments, Jeff briefed trustees on the recently completed state legislative session. He said two bills that would have affected public libraries—aimed at limiting interlibrary loan and creating liability changes for librarians and board members—did not pass this year, though he cautioned the legislature operates on a two-year cycle and bills can return next year. He also noted a federal judge issued an injunction ordering the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to continue providing funds, but that IMLS’s authorizing legislation sunsets Sept. 30 and must be reauthorized by Congress to avoid further risk.

No formal board motions were taken on these operational items; trustees asked staff to continue exploring options and report back.

Jeff said the library will finalize communications and partner outreach related to these initiatives and will return to the board with updates as plans progress.