Every day, thousands of physical items circulate through Jefferson County Public Library (JCPL) as new books, movies, comics, magazines and more are entered into the system. Have you ever wondered how they all get from a publisher to your local library’s shelves?
Selection
The process starts with the Selectors – a small team who carefully choose each item to be purchased. The latest blockbuster film or highly anticipated novel by a New York Times bestselling author are easy selections to make. From there though, the process gets more nuanced.
A common myth is that the Selectors read every single book that JCPL purchases. In 2023, JCPL ordered more than 140,000 physical books. With only three librarians responsible for the selection lists, reading each one would be unsustainable, if not impossible. Instead, they leverage their knowledge of trends, circulation data, Jefferson County residents, publisher suggestions, patron requests and professional expertise to add to the JCPL collection.
After the Selection Team has compiled a list of titles for purchase, the Interlibrary Loan/Acquisitions Team places the orders. Traditional retailers such as Target, Barnes & Noble and Amazon don’t carry enough stock to support library needs. Instead, we order directly from specialized library wholesalers. Each book is purchased in multiple formats: Lucky Day, large print, e-book, audiobook, Playaway and more.
Orders and New Challenges
The Collections Team at JCPL is currently facing a new ordering challenge: Our primary print vendor for over 50 years, Baker & Taylor, announced that they will be closing their business in January 2026. As JCPL shifts to a new vendor, we are having to find creative new strategies to get items ready for patrons as efficiently as possible.
Baker & Taylor shipped all books to us in “shelf ready” condition, meaning they had all the appropriate tags, records, labels and protective covers. Other wholesale vendors will complete some – but not all – of these steps, meaning that materials require more processing before they can be shared with patrons. Besides that, our new vendor has seen unprecedented demand for their services, 2000 new library customers within days of Baker & Taylor's announced closure, including Jefferson County Public Library. Our new vendor is also working on strategies to get materials to libraries as quickly as possible.
To get print titles more quickly, our Collections team is taking on the challenge of labeling, creating records for the catalog and processing print items in-house. Taking on these extra steps helps us reduce delays in patrons receiving new items. We are continuing to look for creative ways to expedite this process.
Books to Shelves
Another common myth is that each item goes to its home location first. In actuality, each item goes directly from processing to wherever the first hold is set for pickup. The finishing touch comes from our Pages. They handle every single item that comes through the Library and shelve it or prepare it for pickup, getting them into the hands of readers as quickly as possible.
We understand that patrons may be experiencing longer wait times to receive print items due to these changes and how frustrating that can be. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to establish new systems and order materials as efficiently as possible.
For more information about the selection process and collection management, please visit our Collection Development Policy.