SPRINGFIELD – The  Central and Western Massachusetts Resource Sharing (CW MARS) library consortium reported a record number of digital book checkouts in 2020 and the Springfield Public Library system was a big part of that.

CW MARS reported in January that it was one of 102 public library systems worldwide to surpass the 1 million mark in digital checkouts. In fact, the consortium's 1.8 million checkouts placed them in the top-25 among public library consortiums around the globe in total digital circulation.

For its part, Springfield accounted for 35,568 checkouts, according to Springfield Public Library Director Molly Fogarty, joining Worcester Public Library, Shrewsbury Public Library, Jones Library in Amherst, Forbes Library in Northampton, Hopkinton Public Library, Marlborough Public Library, Westborough Public Library, the Westfield Athenaeum, and Berkshire Athenaeum in Pittsfield as one of the top performers in 150-member consortium.

Fogarty told Reminder Publishing the coronavirus pandemic forcing the physical closure of the brick and mortar library branches was a major driver in a 35 percent increase in the use of e-books and audiobooks through the Overdrive system and corresponding Libby reading app compared to 2019.

"In March [2020], we starting to look at how we could provide services to the public and e-books was one way we could provide more service because at that time, we had no borrowing and people couldn't return items," she said.

Through this system, readers can "borrow" books and download them to their device in a similar manner to a physical resource. After three weeks, access to the borrowed material ends to it can be made available to other users. If a resource is not available when requested, the user would be put on a waiting list and notified when the download is ready.

With the need for more e-resources, the library shifted some of its collection development funding in that direction to bolster its collection. Membership in CW MARS, Fogarty noted, was a benefit to library users as well.

"What's great about being part of the CW MARS system is all of our patrons not only have access to the items that we purchased but also all items owned by libraries in the consortium," she said, adding Overdrive and the Libby app have made these resources more accessible. She also said in a given year, Springfield typically loans out 90,000 items to other member libraries while borrowing approximately 50 to 60,000. "There's a lot of volume that goes through this delivery system, but it's a great way to share all our resources."

"The amount of this type of resource sharing is unique to Massachusetts," Fogarty said.

Forgarty added that the growth of interest in digital books had been gradually increasing in the past few years and the technology provided a critical service to the public from until June when the city entered Phase 2 of the state's reopening plan and the library began offering curbside pickup by appointment at all of its branches, but even during the pandemic, it only accounted for a small percent of the library's circulation volume for the year. From June through the end of the year, patrons borrowed more than 100,000 items through curbside checkout. In a normal year, the library loans out approximately 600,000 physical items.

"It's still maybe 5 percent of the total number of items people borrow, so there's still a large demand for physical items, print or non-print, but weÕve definitely seen increases," she said. "I think people are more and more comfortable using and downloading e-books but also this year, especially before we started curbside service, there was no other way to get library materials."

In addition to offering e-books, Fogarty said since the city's library branches closed their doors on March 16, the staff has worked diligently to engage the community through virtual programming such as storytimes, early literacy scavenger hunts, teen and adult book clubs on Zoom, virtual art galleries and performances from local musicians and online writing workshops. The library also enhanced its reader's advisory services and workforce development workshops. Technology training for the public also continued throughout the shutdown.

For children specifically, Fogarty said the library and Springfield Public Schools have collaborated on programming during remote learning and the children's librarians at many branches have created take-home craft kits that can be picked up curbside.

"I think our staff has been working really, really hard to reach out to everybody," she said. "Everybody's just waiting and really anxious to be able to open the doors and welcome people in again."