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Hudson library reports rising digital use and steady staff as it presents annual survey to council
Summary
At a Hudson City Council meeting, a library presenter summarized the library's annual survey: staff at 3.37 FTE, total operating income reported at $291,413, expenditures reported at $323,123, and rising digital circulation and downloadable spending. The council received the report during citizens requests.
Mary, presenting the Hudson library’s annual survey to the council, said the library’s staff level stands at 3.37 full-time-equivalent positions and highlighted rising use of downloadable materials and digital services.
The report, delivered during the council’s citizens requests portion of the meeting, listed total operating income received as $291,413 and total operating expenditures as $323,123. Mary told the council the library’s physical holdings were roughly 28,918 items and that combined print and e-book holdings available through the consortium were reported as 131,504 items. She said the library’s downloadable and electronic collection expenditures were $7,767 and that downloadable circulation continues to rise year over year.
Why it matters: The library’s figures reflect a shift toward digital resources and steady community use. Mary emphasized that consortium membership expands access well beyond what the library could purchase on its own and noted the library removed most fines (keeping fines only for high-value items such as Wi‑Fi hotspots) to lower barriers for families with children.
Details from the report included a county income figure of $8,491 (down from the prior year), state revenue shown as $3,680 (down $353 from the year before) and staff expenditures reported as $245,000. Mary reported 368 live library programs during the fiscal year with a combined attendance of 3,583 and a door count of about 18,972, which she said reflected steady community engagement.
Mary described programmatic offerings by age group (early childhood through adults), the library’s two genealogy databases funded by the library foundation (HeritageQuest and Ancestry Library Edition), a language-learning database (Transparent Language), and a subscription to World Book. She also noted access to a statewide service (Brainfuse) that includes a veterans job-search section.
Asked about material selection, Mary said staff purchase some electronic items to serve local patron demand (Bridges Advantage purchases) and then make them available to the consortium after an exclusivity period. She explained constraints on acquiring some DVDs because media companies are releasing fewer physical discs.
The council took no action on the report beyond receiving the presentation. The meeting then moved on to committee reports and the evening’s business.
