CLAY COUNTY – The Clay County Library System is expanding its digital collection through a $50,000 State Aid to Libraries Grant approved by the Board of County Commissioners at the April 26 BCC meeting.
Commission Chairman Wayne Bolla said, “Commissioners want our Clay County libraries to stay current and meet the needs of the community. The demand for digital content has increased dramatically in recent years, and with this investment in the digital collection, we can keep up with that demand and offer the latest in popular materials with shorter or no wait times.” 
Clay County Libraries have been working to improve access to library material in a variety of formats, shorten patron wait times for items on hold, and replace outdated material throughout the collection.
Library Services Director Karen Walker said, “It is our goal to have a current, content-rich collection with quality, well-reviewed titles available through multiple access points.”
Library cardholders now have two options to enjoy the latest popular digital titles for children, young adults, teens, and a large selection of materials for college students and adults.

Free downloads with Libby
Popular audiobooks, eBooks, and magazines in the newly expanded digital library collection can be downloaded to your account or placed on hold for use on any device. Users can then access the materials through a web browser or on any smart device with the free Libby by OverDrive app. The expanded eBook and audiobook collection includes Florida Teen Reads, Sunshine State Young Readers Award titles, popular young adult and adult titles, and thousands of magazines.
The library’s digital collection also includes the New York Times and a variety of research and learning materials.  All digital library materials can be viewed at www.claycountygov.com/community/library/digital-library.

Free online streaming with hoopla
The library system has also purchased access to the digital media platform hoopla, which offers free online streaming of thousands of popular audiobooks, eBooks, comics, movies, TV, magazines, or music for every age group with your library card. The service is simple to use and allows you to check out ten titles per month with no waiting lists. The materials can be returned early or are automatically returned at the end of the lending period, so there are no late fees. 
Visit www.hoopladigital.com/ or download the free hoopla Digital app to get started. Users will need to create an account with an email address and a password, which is linked to a library card and secured with a PIN. hoopla syncs across all your devices, so you can stream titles immediately on any device, or start on one device and pick up where you left off on another.
Most titles can also be downloaded to your phone or tablet and taken with you for use anywhere. The county staff is still purchasing new materials, so keep checking the library’s website and look for the latest popular titles and other new additions.
All Clay County libraries are open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.