Franklin librarians shift orders to Ingram after Baker & Taylor exit; staff expect to catch up on materials

Library staff informed trustees Oct. 27 that Baker & Taylor, a long-standing library materials vendor, has effectively ceased operations, prompting staff to cancel outstanding orders and shift purchases to other vendors.

Jennifer reported the change and said the library already maintained an account with Ingram, which mitigated some disruption because Ingram initially limited new accounts as other libraries scrambled for alternatives. She said other vendors (Mackin, Roadart and others) are available as backups.

Staff acknowledged materials shipments are delayed and that extra staff time has been spent cancelling and reordering. Jennifer said Franklin expects to catch up over time as orders are reestablished through alternate vendors.

Trustees asked whether other libraries had success stories to share and whether further vendor backups existed; staff said Franklin's prior Ingram account was advantageous given the sudden market shift. Trustees also discussed whether material budget lines would be fully spent this year; the director said Hoopla funding and other savings left materials budgets covered for the near term.