Placing a hold on bestsellers and libraries | Arts & Culture

A national bestseller is also one of the most popular requests at Spokane Public Libraries. Libraries officials disclosed hold statistics for local author Jess Walter’s most recent book Beautiful Ruins, released earlier this year.

The 352-page novel takes place in old Hollywood that follows a love stories crossing decades - and oceans. It’s currently listed at the #12 slot for the New York Times bestseller list (for hardcover fiction).

The city libraries have 28 copies shared between all of them and there are currently 108 requests to read the novel.

Library spokesperson Eva Silverstone says the checkout period is three weeks, so if every person kept their copy during the full three weeks, the waiting list is two and a half months.

“Many people return their copy sooner than the three week checkout period so the holds queue often moves more quickly,” Silverstone explained in an email.

This conversation is connected to the city’s announcement of the proposed 2013 budget. The libraries department avoided cuts in this proposal because they’ve already made enough cuts for 2012 and had an accumulation of a large ending fund balance from 2011.

The biggest uncertainty is 2014 when they face a severe budget crisis because they’ll run out of their accumulated end funds - kind of like accumulated vacation hours.  If future funding is cut, one thing that could go is material funding which provides new books like Beautiful Ruins.

We’re working on a story this week that talks about the looming future of their budget and how Spokane Public Libraries is depending on the city’s future allocation.