Flagstaff City – Coconino County Public Library — Book distributor closure likely to cause delays

Update for our patrons:

Book Distributor Closures – Delays Likely

We would like to keep you informed about a recent development impacting the Flagstaff City-Coconino County Public Library. Baker & Taylor, a U.S. – based company that supplies books to schools, libraries, and bookstores – including the Flagstaff Public Libraries – has gone unexpectedly out of business after a failed merger. Baker & Taylor plans to fully cease operations by January 2026.

The picture is in a watercolor painting style. A book lies open on the forest floors. Right behind the book is a lush pine forest that continues on, The last large image in the picture is a painting of a mountain with 2 peaks. It seems to resemble Mt. Humphreys in Arizona.

This is not a specific issue to the Flagstaff City-Coconino County Public Library.

This is a nationwide concern for schools, bookstores, and libraries that used Baker & Taylor as their materials supplier. They are the largest supplier of library content, software, and services to both public and academic libraries across the nation. We are certainly disappointed at the outcome of this situation.

This closure will unfortunately cause delays with book orders and other materials. We are doing everything we can to mitigate this unforeseen circumstance and provide materials to you, our valued patrons. We understand that this is a frustrating situation and are appreciative of your patience and understanding as we navigate through this transition.

Staff are already working with other vendors and are prioritizing re-ordering books and materials with holds, as well as other popular materials. If you have an item on hold your place in the queue will not be affected by this delay.

Again, we appreciate your patience and value your use of our libraries.