The public library is one of the ways that savvy users can get free audiobooks and ebooks. They can be read on your smartphone, tablet or e-readers. Kobo e-readers are especially good since they have Overdrive integration in all their devices, making browsing, borrowing, and reading possible. One downfall of libraries’ digital shelves is that users can be put on a waitlist for popular titles. The Seattle Public Library is doing something new that will likely be emulated by other library systems worldwide. Due to rising costs, they will limit the number of holds a user can make.
Starting Tuesday, March 19, The Seattle Public Library is reducing the maximum holds allowed on e-books and e-audiobooks from 25 to 10. Please note that you won’t lose any of these holds if you have more than ten holds on digital books at that time. You just won’t be able to place new holds until you’re within the new limit. Also, the limit for digital borrowing has not changed – you can still borrow up to 25 digital books at a time.
Why has the Seattle Public Library made this change? The popularity of digital books was rising before 2020, but the pandemic accelerated this trend. At The Seattle Public Library, annual checkouts of digital books almost tripled from 2015 to 2022, as did costs. Unfortunately, because of the way digital books are priced for libraries, meeting increased demand has come at a cost that has become unsustainable. In 2023, 62% of the library’s spending on digital books was used to purchase additional copies to fulfill holds placed on popular titles, which is a considerable number.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
