CW MARS NEWS

We are excited to welcome two new member libraries this fiscal year!  The Hinsdale Public Library in Hinsdale, MA joined CW MARS in July. Hinsdale is a small, rural hill town community located in Berkshire County. The current population is approximately 1900. The Middlefield Public Library in Middlefield, MA also joined CW MARS this summer.    Middlefield is a small, rural town, located in Hampshire County.  The current population is approximately 385. Over the past three years, nine small libraries have joined the CW MARS consortium.  Residents of those communities are now able to more easily access the millions of items held by our 150+ members.  Patrons can place holds via our online catalog and/or mobile app and pickup and return items at any CW MARS library.  

A new catalog experience is coming soon! An updated, modern, mobile-friendly version of the catalog will be here April 19, 2022 . In preparation for the upgrade, the system will be unavailable from Saturday evening April 16 through Monday April 18. While most of what you know already about the catalog will continue to be true after the upgrade, you may find certain buttons or options have moved a little. To help prepare, we have updated all the helpful documentation available at www.cwmars.org : Searching and Browsing the Catalog | Placing and Managing Holds My Account | My Lists Here are some screenshots to get you excited for the changes! Hint: Click an image to see a larger version.

   CW MARS Announces Over TWO Million eBook and Audiobook Checkouts  in 2021. CW MARS continues to see increases in usage of electronic content. 2021 reached a record-breaking two million digital book checkouts. For CW MARS, this milestone illustrates the continued growth and importance of library digital lending of ebooks and audiobooks, especially after a prolonged period of building closures due to the global pandemic. CW MARS, a consortium consisting of 155 libraries in Central and Western Massachusetts, is one of 121 public library systems worldwide that surpassed one million checkouts (complete list here ). CW MARS member libraries have been providing readers 24/7 access to ebooks and audiobooks for several years through the award-winning Libby app , the library reading app created by OverDrive . Reader interest and usage has grown every year. Member libraries with the highest electronic circulation include Worcester Public Library, Shrewsbury Public Library, Jone...