Burke County Public Library turns the page after its primary book vendor shut down

When book distributor Baker & Taylor announced it was permanently shutting down, libraries across the nation were left scrambling for a new vendor.

Fortunately, the Burke County Public Library had an existing relationship with Ingram Content Group.

Less fortunately, Ingram was soon swamped with hundreds, if not thousands, of new customers following Baker & Taylor’s announcement, which for Burke meant weeks of delayed shipments.

“The items here that circulate the most for adults are the new books, and that’s the best-selling books (and) popular books,” said Burke County Public Library Director Jim Wilson. “And that’s what we were having to wait on.”

Things are back on track now, Wilson said, with the Burke County library system regularly receiving hundreds of new books. Though, due to inflation, spending the same amount of money on books now that was spent a few years ago means Burke County Public Library can buy about 300 less books than before.

Otherwise, Burke’s library system has faced little difficulty. Wilson said switching vendors did not even present a budget challenge, because Ingram’s prices are similar to Baker & Taylor’s.

Baker & Taylor operated for nearly 200 years, having opened in 1828. It was one of the largest book distributors in the country. The company met its demise in the face of mounting financial strain and overwhelming debt, which included loans that had gone into default.

Wilson said new books are added to the library collection all the time, and Burke County Public Library orders new books almost every week. Items are also continuously weeded from the collection.

Patron input and requests and reviews from sources such as Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Library Journal, and School Library Journal help material selectors choose what to order, Wilson said.

“Selectors also keep up with trends in popular media and news to gauge what customers may be interested in,” Wilson said. “(They) also analyze the current collections, looking at strengths, weaknesses, and usage patterns to determine items to purchase.”

Wilson said books are commonly removed from circulation if they are outdated, haven’t been checked out in the past five years, or are damaged.

He added that people would be surprised by how many dog-chewed books are returned with apology notes, plus water-damaged books that have fallen into bathtubs or pools.

Wilson said that the library system’s 2025-26 budget has $150,000 set aside for buying new books. The Library Foundation also raises funds for books, with the amount varying from year to year.

Over Wilson’s three decades at the Burke County Public Library, he has observed several ups and downs in library usage.

“A typical pattern is that when the economy suffers a downturn, libraries get busier as our services are more in demand as people are looking for ways to economize,” Wilson said. “After COVID, we have seen steady increases each year in door count and circulation.”

While the local impact was minimal, questions may remain about the well-being of the book distribution industry since a name as big as Baker & Taylor went out of business.

“The major implication for B&T closing was the displacement of existing customers that lost their primary book vendor,” Wilson said. “We had used them for over 20 years. I hope it is an isolated event and that other vendors will be supported as former B&T customers move to them.”