New limits reflect rising costs and growing demand for digital materials
London Public Library has reduced the maximum number of ebooks and audiobooks that can be borrowed or placed on hold using OverDrive and the Libby app to 10 items, effective immediately. This new limit, which previously was set at 20 holds or borrows, puts London Public Library in line with limits at other public libraries in Ontario. Please note our 3-week loan period remains unchanged.
If you currently have more than 10 loans or holds, don’t worry, these will remain in place. However, you won’t be able to place new holds or borrow more items until you are within the new limit.
This change is designed to help improve access to in-demand titles, reduce long waitlists, and provide a broader range of titles as Libraries face rising costs and growing demand for digital materials.
Why this change?
Public Libraries everywhere are facing a dramatic increase in the cost of licensing ebooks and audiobooks to lend to their patrons, along with a growing demand from their communities for digital materials.
At London Public Library, the number of ebooks and audiobooks our community borrows has increased by 112% since 2019! Last year, Londoners borrowed 1 million digital items on OverDrive for the first time ever. While this is a milestone worth celebrating, it also presents new challenges for the Library.
Unlike purchasing a print book, Libraries pay a significantly higher price for digital materials. A single ebook license can cost two to three times more than a print copy, and this license often expires after just two years.
For example, Kristin Hannah’s The Women costs libraries $85 for a two-year ebook license, while the retail price for the print version is just $40. Print copies are owned by libraries and thus can circulate for many years to come.
This pricing model makes it extremely costly for public libraries to maintain robust digital collections.
Reducing the number of loans and holds each patron can place helps manage these rising costs and allows the library to allocate resources more effectively.
How do holds impact the cost?
When many people place holds on a popular title, London Public Library purchases additional licenses to reduce wait times and meet demand. This means that we are buying extra copies to meet demand, rather than using our budget to purchase a wider selection of titles. Additionally, in many cases, borrowers with high numbers of items borrowed and on hold do not end up borrowing the item when the item becomes available to them.
By lowering the number of holds each patron can place, London Public Library can better balance demand for popular items with the ability to offer a wider variety of titles to the whole community.
Library Budgets
This decision comes from London Public Library’s ongoing efforts to responsibly manage its budget for print and digital materials, especially in response to continuing trends in the publishing industry. Public Libraries across Canada and the US are faced with similar challenges in managing their costs and budgets. This decision is not a reflection on London Public Library’s budget allocation from the City of London.
We recommend these great tips and tools:
- Using the “Tags” feature in the Libby app to keep a wish list of titles you want to read without placing a hold.
- Checking out LPL Express, our 7-day loan collection, for instant access to high-demand titles.
- Using the “Available Now” search filter to borrow items immediately.
- Exploring our partner Libraries — your London Public Library card gives you access to digital titles from Burlington, Hamilton, Kingston-Frontenac, Milton, Mississauga, and Ottawa Public Libraries.
You'll find more detailed information about these features on our OverDrive page.
We understand that this change will be an adjustment. We’re here to help you make the most of your digital reading experience. If you have questions or need help with Libby or OverDrive, email us at info@lpl.ca or call 519-661-4600, or drop by your neighbourhood branch.