Ebook Licensing Partially Drives Library Budget In Chester

CHESTER, NJ — The Chester Library had an unusual $40,000 carryover from its 2021 budget, which the library plans to partially apply to ebook licensing fees, according to the library’s director.

The preliminary 2022 budgets for the Chester Library, Chester First Aid Squad and Chester Voluteer Fire Company #1, were discussed at a joint Chester Borough and Township meeting on Tuesday, the two municipalities sharing these services.

Chester Township Mayor Janet Hoven told Patch in a phone interview on Thursday that statutorily, a town funds its local library. Hoven directed budget questions about ebooks to Library Director Lesley Karczewski.

The library’s total operating budget for 2021 was $760,059. The 2022 estimated budget is $833,550, according to the budget breakdown presented to the two towns. Approximately $40,000 was transferred from the 2021 to the 2022 budget, reflecting an increase, Hoven said.

During the pandemic, the library did not fully reopen with regular hours until after Labor Day, Karczewski told Patch in a phone interview on Thursday.

In doing so, there was a reduction in many costs in 2021, including supplies, plus $40,000 in salaries.

“That is not a normal occurrence,” Karczewski said.

With the salary budget carried over to 2022, the library has proposed to reinvest some of its funding into digital books.

“There was an increase in demand [of digital books] fostered by the pandemic,” Karczewski said. “A lot of people turned to digital content. As a result, we need to purchase more.”

Karczewski said purchasing for ebooks is structured differently than it is for hard copies, with costs typically averaging between $50 to $100 per license for libraries. Though a book is digital, the license cannot be shared. A library would need to purchase multiple licenses, should it like to have more than one copy of a particular book.

The licenses additionally have a shelf life, which may only last two years in some cases, she said.

The library’s ebook annual costs — with the digital content line item on the budget jumping from $20,000 to $40,000 between 2021 and 2022 — typically includes new content, but the library also has a vast collection of ebooks, with many of those licenses requiring renewal. Some books have licenses that are less expensive. In some cases, the library may opt for a perpetual license, Karczweski said, which could come with a higher price tag.

Some of the $40,000 salary budget transfer is also expected to be allocated for the library’s strategic plan, which libraries are required to do periodically and Chester Library is scheduled to create, said Karczewski. The plan will require the library to outline its goals and objectives.

The Chester Library also received $61,681 in second round funding from the state’s Library Bond Act in January. It is a 50/50 grant and the library must front costs, which will be used to replace the library’s roof and gutters, a project that has been on hold for several years, said Karczewski.

First Aid Squad, Fire Department Budgets

Chester First Squad — which celebrated 75 years of volunteer service to the community in 2021— had an actual budget in 2021 of $100,517. The 2021 budget initially proposed was $118,400. The 2022 budget proposal total remains the same.

In 2021, the first aid squad had 549 calls, with Atlantic 358. There was an 18 percent volume increase in calls from 2020, according to the squad’s budget presentation.

The first aid squad indicated in its presentation that plans to purchase a new ambulance are on hold and will be addressed when the need arises. The squad, which explored the idea of having a paid squad, wrote in its budget proposal, that idea has been temporarily shelved because of the pandemic response. The possibility of moving headquarters has also been sidelined, with the squad remaining at 100 North Road, “unless/until another municipal option becomes available,” it wrote.

Chester Volunteer Fire Company #1 submitted its 2022 budget request, noting that it has few increases between 2021 and 2022. Treasurer Edward Windt wrote that the fire company has aimed to keep the budget as flat as possible, with a 1.86 percent increase for the 2022 budget of $5,100. The requested budget in 2021 was $274,600 with the actual $279,929.43. The 2022 requested budget is $279,700. The 2022 capital request was for 10 sets of turnout gear at $55,000.

See the full budget presentations here.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.