MARSHALL — Book deliveries, interlibrary loans and digital resources became more important for area libraries during the COVID-19 pandemic, Plum Creek Library System leaders said last week.

The Plum Creek system, which includes 26 libraries across nine counties in southwest Minnesota, was unique in that it continued to offer deliveries throughout the pandemic, said PCLS Director Elizabeth Hoffman.

“I have heard stories from our users about how we helped them finish college classes,” at a time when many schools had gone to distance learning, Hoffman said.

Hoffman and Marshall-Lyon County Library Director Michele Leininger spoke to Lyon County commissioners last week, and gave an update on the library system’s activities in 2021.

PCLS is a federated system, Hoffman said. Each of the member libraries is independent, but they use a shared computer catalog system and have access to a variety of resources through the regional library system.

“We also do a lot of training and advocacy for our member libraries,” she said.

In 2021, the Plum Creek system had a physical circulation of more than 635,000 items, and a digital circulation of over 77,000. During the pandemic, PCLS saw “a dramatic increase” in the number of digital resources members of the public used through their local libraries, Hoffman said.

There were also more than 168,000 interlibrary loans in the Plum Creek system during 2021.

Interlibrary loans are “central to what we do,” Hoffman said. PCLS kept its delivery services running through the pandemic, and in 2021 the system covered 1,100 miles a week in delivering library materials to members of the public.

Hoffman said PCLS has also been using aid and funding for regional libraries. That has included $100,864 in American Rescue Plan Act funding, and $114,578 from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

She said Regional Library Telecommunication Aid funding has also helped PCLS provide technological assistance to member libraries.