The Oxford & Lafayette County Public Library Offers More Than Just Books

By Alyssa Schnugg
Staff writer
alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

The Oxford & Lafayette County Public Library provides more than just books to area citizens.

The library gives people without internet service at home a place to look for jobs and check their email or do homework. The library has thousands of movies to rent, puppets with matching storybooks and a growing inventory of E-books and digital content.
“There’s a huge need for more,” said Meredith Whitham, director of the First Regional Library System that oversees the Oxford library. “We get a lot of complaints that we need more. Many have adopted this digital model and they want more.”
E-books and digital content can be checked out for free through the library by using a library card.
Whitham and Oxford Branch Manager Laura Beth Walker submitted the library’s annual budget request to the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors last week. The library presented three funding amounts for the board’s consideration – $399,000, which is what the board has given the last two years; $413,000, which would be enough to continue all current programs and services as they are now; and $425,000, that would increase the number of services and programs offered at the library.
“We are grateful for all your support over the years,” Walker said.
About 18 percent of the library’s budget is projected to be used toward E-books and digital content. About 29 percent is spent on salaries and 8 percent is spent on new books.
A popular place
In 2017, residents checked out books and other materials 154,178 times and used the computers 33,910 times. More than 2,200 people received a library card for the first time. The library offered 475 programs, including the Summer Reading Program, where 975 people participated.
Library officials estimate that 2,362 use the library weekly and 122,807 annually. Librarians answered 40,525 reference questions, 18,460 technology questions and 9,793 job questions.
The library also provides a community meeting place for local organizations. The meeting room was used 441 times in 2017 with about 16,527 people attending those programs or lectures.
Last year, the library received $312,000 from the city of Oxford. They will go before the Board of Aldermen with their budget request to the city within the next couple of weeks as both Oxford and Lafayette County leaders continue to meet with department heads to review annual budgets.
The fiscal year for both Oxford and Lafayette runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30. The fiscal year 2018-2019 budgets must be approved by Sept. 17.