Durham Reads Together: Collection Development

With generous funding of $3,300 from the Friends of the Durham Library, collection development staff were able to purchase copies of The Best of Enemies: Race and Redemption in the New South by Osha Gray Davidson in book, ebook, audiobook, and DVD formats to ensure that the community had easy access in order to participate in Durham Reads Together 2019.    

As we had hoped, the story of C. P. Ellis and Ann Atwater and the unlikely bond that developed between them as they worked from opposite sides to resolve racial tensions at the time of the Durham Public Schools integration was a source of interesting programs and lively conversations. The choice of this title complemented the timing of the Durham 150 anniversary celebration. 

One hundred paperbacks, 35 DVDs, and 10 audiobooks on disc were purchased to check out to patrons. For the first time ever, a 2-month, unlimited, simultaneous use ebook was licensed on Overdrive/Libby so that ebook users could immediately check out and download from home with no waiting. Having this ebook readily available with no wait was a tremendous convenience for patrons.

Also, for the first time, five staff “book club kits” were compiled with a copy of the book and a list of discussion questions and relevant news articles to assist staff with their in-house book club programs featuring this title. As checkouts slowed down after the program, two circulating book club kits were created with 12 copies each of the paperback. These two book club kits will ensure that patron-run book clubs will have an easy way to get started with their own discussions of The Best of Enemies.

In the period during which Durham Reads Together programs were focused, July 1 – November 5, 2019, library patrons checked out the paperback edition 260 times, and checked out the Overdrive ebook edition 400 times. The DVD edition went out 225 times, and the audiobook on disc version was checked out 26 times.

The generosity of the Friends of the Durham Library in providing these collection funds for Durham Reads Together 2019 enabled patrons to conveniently access The Best of Enemies in their preferred format with little or no delay.  The convenience and ease of access to this title facilitated patron participation in this community conversation sparked by Durham Reads Together 2019.