Library Going Evergreen; Opens Doors to 8 Million Items

On May 19, Crawfordsville District Public Library will be joining Evergreen Indiana.

What does that mean for patrons? It means they will have access to nearly 8 million items from various libraries across Indiana with their CDPL card.

The library’s mission is to provide collections services, and programs that encourage the love of reading and learning. Joining Evergreen supports this mission in a big way by giving our community easier access to even more books and materials to read, learn and grow.

Evergreen Indiana is a growing consortium of over 130 libraries located throughout Indiana. Patrons of member libraries can use their library card to borrow materials from the other member libraries. This means that you can use your CDPL card to request and borrow books, movies, music, and more from any other participating library in Indiana!

Benefits of Joining Evergreen

• Expanded collection: As a member of Evergreen, our patrons will have access to millions of books, movies, music, and more from other libraries across Indiana.
• Cost savings: Joining the consortium saves us over $16,000 per year on our cataloging system, giving the community more for less.
• Seamless borrowing: You can simply use your CDPL card to place holds and check out materials from any Evergreen library.

What Will Change?

• A new online catalog: Our new catalog will show materials from both CDPL and other Evergreen libraries.
• Changed borrowing periods: Most checkout limits will be increased to match Evergreen policies. Most items will be checked out for 21 or 7 days with one or two renewals.
• Increased number of checked-out materials: With your CDPL Evergreen card, your total check-out limit increases to 100 items at a time with some limitations to specific items.
• Reading History: While you will be able to record new reading history in Evergreen, any reading history from our past catalog will not carry forward.

What Will Stay the Same?

• Library services: Our library will continue to offer the same great services as before, such as computer access, printing, and access to Libby and our other digital resources.
• CDPL remains fine-free: We continue to be fine-free, meaning you won’t have to worry about late fees for materials borrowed at our library.

What Else Do I Need to Know? 

• Our online catalog will be unavailable from May 13-18. You will still be able to check out items, but making account changes and placing holds will be unavailable during this time. Your reading history in our current catalog will no longer be accessible. Ask our Circulation staff before this date and we can print your list out for you!
• The Library will be closed Monday, May 18 for staff training. 
• You can come in and get a new Evergreen Library Card and update your password anytime on or after May 19 during our open hours. 
• E-Content accounts will need to be updated with your new card information and passwords.
• Staff will be available to help you with any questions regarding changes to your account, our digital collection, or how to navigate the new system.