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Library reports rising usage, Wi-Fi upgrades and $385,000 state aid tied to municipal appropriations
Summary
Library Director Olivia Mello told the City Council that circulation, digital downloads and Wi-Fi use are up across the city's library system and that recent high-speed Wi-Fi wiring was funded with state aid; the library also received about $385,000 in state aid this year tied to statutory municipal-appropriation rules.
Olivia Mello, director of library services, told the City Council that New Bedford's public libraries have seen rising usage in both physical and digital services. She said the system circulated roughly 172,000 items last year, with digital downloads increasing from about 50,700 to 76,670 over three years, and that door counts and meeting-room use have risen sharply.
Mello said the library completed a city-fiber-based high-speed internet and Wi-Fi installation at all locations last fiscal year — a project she said cost over $100,000 and was paid with state aid — and that recorded Wi-Fi sessions and public-computer usage have increased. She reported that meeting rooms were used by more than 500 groups and that the library logs visitor origin in a guest book when tourists visit the main branch.
On finances, Mello said the library received about $385,000 in state aid tied to meeting state municipal-appropriation requirements (including hours of service and materials spending). She explained that state aid helps the library meet statutory thresholds and that the library expects to receive roughly $350,000 in state aid next year provided it meets the requirements.
Councilors asked for clarification on electricity line items and for a breakdown of vacancies; Mello said she is recruiting for several positions and that she would provide comparisons to similar-sized cities on request. She also noted a hiring challenge: a watch-person role had been left vacant to meet prior-year vacancy-savings targets and the library was still actively recruiting for that position.
