The Newbury Public Library is happy to announce that it is a recipient of $1242 in grant funding thanks to federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and made possible by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the New Hampshire State Library. The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. IMLS advances, supports, and empowers America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Our vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities.
The grant funds received will support the Newbury Public Library’s efforts to increase digital offerings to our community.
The ARPA grant will be used to fund the library’s e-book and audiobook lending service, Hoopla, which provides cardholders with free access to e-books, audiobooks, music, movies and tv downloads. The library added this service in 2020 to help supplement our subscription to NH Overdrive, a digital library maintained by the NH State Library. Hoopla charges per view, and costs for each checkout range from $1.99 to $3.99 and the funds will help support usage through next year. Hoopla has been well received, seeing a 21% increase in circulation from January 2021 to March of 2021. We currently have 76 users with an average of 110 items borrowed per month.
Those interested in accessing or learning more about the library’s e-book and audiobook subscription services should call and speak with a librarian at 603-763-5803, email reference@newburynhlibrary.net or visit the library. Community members can also learn more about these offerings through a virtual tutorial on Sunday August 29th at 12:30 via Zoom. Email or call the library for a Zoom link.
To learn more about the Newbury Public Library, its services and resources, visit https://newburynhlibrary.net or stop by the library. To learn more about ARPA funding, visit https://www.whitehouse.gov/american-rescue-plan/. To learn more about IMLS, visit www.imls.gov and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
