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Mendocino County Library to drop several subscription services and movie nights amid budget pressure
Summary
County librarian told supervisors the library will discontinue subscription services including Hoopla and Kanopy and will end in-branch movie screenings on June 14 due to reduced funding from federal grants and operating budget pressures.
Mendocino County Library officials told the Board of Supervisors on May 6 that budget pressures and reductions in federal grant support have forced the library to discontinue several online subscription services and in-branch movie screenings.
County Librarian Melissa Hamill said the library will discontinue Hoopla, Kanopy, Pronunciator, ProCitizen, GrantFinder and Covels, and will end the branch movie-screening license and its movie-night program on June 14. Hamill said the decision followed a review of rising operating costs and the end of some federal grant funding that flows through the California State Library.
Hamill noted some alternative digital services will remain or expand: Libby and the Palace Project will continue to provide ebooks, audiobooks and magazines. She also flagged the statewide loss of Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) federal grant funds and described services at risk through the State Library, including New York Times access, CalMatters access for learning, training, Braille and talking-book services and statewide preservation/digitization support.
Why it matters: The county library said the reduced services will affect patrons who used the discontinued platforms for streaming, language learning and research. Hamill said she would continue to monitor the state budget and follow up with the CEO's office and the Board of Supervisors if additional state-directed cuts or restorations become clear.
Ending: Library staff said in-person collections and other digital resources will remain available and encouraged patrons to use Libby and the Palace Project for digital reading materials.
