ImagineIF Libraries

Library News

November 29, 2021

Dear Community,

You may have noticed that GrabnGo items are no longer available, and I need to explain the reason for the change.

ImagineIF Libraries has offered GrabnGo since 2012 – these materials did not circulate to other libraries in Montana, and were designed to keep our most popular titles available for local library users.

In an effort to provide more equitable services to all Montana Libraries, the Partners Sharing Group voted to change some circulation policies for new books and DVDs. As a result, we are no longer able to offer GrabnGo collections as they currently exist.

The Partners sharing group includes 38 member libraries, including ImagineIF. That is why you have access to so many great books and other materials; they come from other libraries who share their materials to fill holds for you, our patrons.

Some of the smaller libraries in Partners have concerns that bigger libraries have more resources for extra things like GrabnGo collections. The group decided through a formal vote that collections like GrabnGo, which serve only local patrons, would no longer be allowed.

We looked at many different solutions to this problem, including finding ways to keep GrabnGo. Under the new Partners rules, ImagineIF could keep GrabnGo titles for the first 28 days, after which they would go to other libraries to fill holds.

We analyzed this solution and decided that the extra work and cost to keep a GrabnGo collection for only 28 days would not benefit our patrons. We are sad to cancel GrabnGo but we are glad that our solution to keep all New Books for 28 days for local customers and holds should help with wait times for popular materials, which is what GrabnGo was intended to do.

This means that all new books and DVDs will be exclusively available to ImagineIF cardholders for 28 days, and we will continue purchasing many copies of popular titles. Patrons will still experience less time waiting for holds to arrive, have plenty of new materials to browse, and there will be no limits on the number of popular items that you can borrow.

I have a responsibility to maintain access to our most popular materials. I also recognize the joy of browsing a robust collection and stumbling upon a new title by your favorite author.

Your feedback is important to me, especially during a change like this. I need to know what I’m missing. Please contact me with your questions and concerns.

Sincerely,

Martha Furman, Interim Library Director

406-758-5713

mfurman@imagineiflibraries.org

November 3, 2021

Dear Community,

ImagineIF Libraries staff is aware of a national conversation involving two books held in our library system: Gender Queer (2019) by Maia Kobabe and Lawn Boy (2018) by Jonathan Evison. After a video of a parent at a school board meeting went viral, libraries across the country have received requests to remove the two titles.

These books were at schools in Texas and Virginia and started a parent conversation over whether they are appropriate for school-aged children to access. Both of the books are in our adult collection.

We have a formal request to remove one of these books, Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe. I want you to know about our collection development process and how we handle complaints and requests for removal. You can read my letter about the process for handling complaints about materials HERE.

Please reach out to me with questions or concerns. It is my duty to understand and respond to community concerns. Is there something I missed?

Martha Furman, Interim Library Director

406-758-5713

mfurman@imagineiflibraries.org

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