Let’s talk about library books. There are a lot of books published every day but at Mifflin County Library we have to be a little selective in what books we offer. That doesn’t mean we censor, that means we have to stay within budget. Shelly, the assistant director, orders all of the adult books for MCL in Lewistown and for the Kish Library in Belleville. She orders all of the fiction, nonfiction, Large Print type books and paperbacks that are for readers over 18-years-old. MCL is a popular materials library. This means we order New York Times bestsellers and books that are trending on social media. We are not a law library so we will not have books about the law but if it’s popular, we will probably purchase true crime books. We are also not a medical library. Any health books that we own will be purchased because they are trending.

In 2026, Shelly will need to be more picky about the books she purchases. I know that there is a new memoir about Kenny Chesney, which the library would catalog as a Biography. With our upcoming renovations, there is no Biography section at this time, except for a few that are on a table. So, just for 2026, even if the book is on the bestseller list, we at MCL will have to go a little bit easy purchasing new nonfiction, Large Print, and biographies. If we receive lots and lots of requests for a certain title, we may purchase it and then house the book at the Kish Library in Belleville.

Miss Kelly orders all of the children’s books for both library locations. Kelly and Shelly work together to order books for teens and younger adults. Luckily, the Children’s Library renovations are complete and Miss Kelly can purchase what she thinks her readers will want.

Shelly and Kelly order books through our book vendor at Ingram Content Group. Ingram has been a wonderful partner for about 15 years. Unfortunately, the book vendor Baker and Taylor fell into financial difficulties and ceased operations in 2025. This closure forced other libraries to transfer their business to Ingram. Because of the increased volume of work to Ingram there have been “some” disruptions. This is a quote from Google.

I’m not sure that I’d use the word “some.” I’d use the word “major” to describe the disruptions. Normally, the library receives new bestselling titles about a week before the publication date. This includes the children’s books. Now, we are lucky to receive the book ten days after publication date. Sometimes the books arrive months late. Many libraries have expressed frustration with Ingram on social media. At Mifflin County Library, we are doing the best we can to bring you the books you want. We appreciate your patience.

Once a box of books arrives, the box is opened and the new books are inventoried, cataloged and covered with a plastic book jacket. Once all of that is done, the new book goes on the shelf and is ready for you.

If you are looking for a great book to read, we’ve got you covered.

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Susan Miriello is the Executive Director of the Mifflin County Library. You can call the library at (717) 242-2391. Kish Library’s phone number is (717) 935-2880. Visit the library website at www.mifflincountylibrary.org.