Naperville Public Library Grant-Funded Digital Library Expansion
Making reading accesible
Naperville Public Library
Amount Awarded: $95,000 | Project Status: Completed Spring 2023
Naperville Public Library used ARPA grant funds to purchase digital materials for the community. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, digital material use soared among readers of all ages and caused challenges to keep up with demand. These funds provided additional e-books and e-audiobooks to for library patrons to meet that demand almost immediately.
This funding empowered the Naperville Public Library to serve thousands of customers, particularly those who could not make it in person during the height of the pandemic. Allowing people to access more materials from home in the form of e-books and e-audiobooks took away the burden of making an extra public trip. It allowed community members to access the materials they were most excited about reading from anywhere. During a time when children could be unexpectedly home from school, those digital resources were greatly appreciated by parents balancing child care and working from home.
Keeping up with Digital Reading Material Demand
Digital content helped the library purchase materials and meet the needs of the community almost immediately. Items were carefully selected by staff that based on what is most popular at the library and items that will soon be published. ARPA funds were used to purchase more of these materials, minimizing the wait time for customers.
“Thanks to the additional funds we received through the ARPA grant, our customers were able to access more of our most popular materials digitally. Even when community members were encouraged to “stay home” to help stop the spread of COVID-19, they could always escape into the world of a good book. We’re grateful that Will County recognized the importance of providing that service to our community.” – Executive Director Dave Della Terza