Burbank Library Services director Elizabeth Goldman recently highlighted the library’s online services in a newsletter to Burbank residents.
The three Burbank Public Library locations welcome 450,000 visitors annually, with an additional 350,000 accessing library services online, Goldman said in the newsletter. She also added that the library’s online services support the community’s diverse learning needs.
“The e-library is increasingly a full library branch. Through our website, burbanklibrary.org, you can meet many of the same needs as you would with an in-person visit. You can get information or research question answered by email, attend certain programs in virtual formats, and access a collection of hundreds of thousands of e-books, e-audiobooks, e-magazines, and streaming music and video,” Goldman said.
In a survey conducted in fall 2022, library patrons expressed the desire for improvements to the e-collection. The Burbank City Council responded by providing extra funding in the 2023-24 fiscal year to build up resources in that collection.
As a result, Burbank e-book readers will notice significantly decreased wait times for items, more selection, and better ways to recommend titles to library staff for addition to the online collection.
The library’s online collection is made up primarily of three services:
— Libby has e-books and e-audiobooks for all ages, including a Spanish-language collection.
— Hoopla has e-books and e-audiobooks, plus comics, music, and movies for all ages. Items in hoopla can be checked out by multiple users at once, so it’s a great option if you are looking for a book club selection or a title for a reading assignment.
— Kanopy is a streaming video service with film and TV shows, notably the Criterion Collection, many BBC titles and a kids’ channel.
Haven’t tried a library eBook? The e-library is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week via the library’s website. Burbank residents can register for library cards online for immediate access to the e-collection.
First published in the March 16 print issue of the Burbank Leader.
