OverDrive has a made a change to how borrowers manage their holds in OverDrive and the Libby app.
The Deliver Later feature has been replaced with the Suspend Holds feature.
What has changed
Borrowers using the Libby app or OverDrive no longer select an end date for their hold suspension. Instead, they’ll choose to suspend or unsuspend a hold.
If a borrower misses their hold on its first delivery, it will be suspended until they unsuspend it. It no longer unsuspends after 7 days.
About Suspending Holds
Suspending a hold lets you keep your place in line for a title until you're ready to read it.
When a hold is suspended, you'll continue moving up the wait list.
If you're first on the wait list, you'll get the next available copy of the title after you unsuspend the hold.
You can suspend a hold before or after it's ready for you to borrow.
Holds suspended for 365 days in a row will be automatically canceled.
How to suspend a hold:
- Tap Shelf.
- Tap Holds at the top of the screen.
- If your hold is ready to borrow, tap Suspend or If your hold isn't ready to borrow, go to Manage Hold > Suspend Hold.
- Tap Suspend Hold again to confirm.
How to unsuspend a hold:
- Tap Shelf.
- Tap Holds at the top of the screen.
- Tap Unsuspend, then tap Unsuspend Hold.
After unsuspending your hold, it will be delivered when you reach the top of the wait list.
Here is an example workflow for Libby users, from a Libby user:
- Place hold on a popular title
- When you have worked your way up to the top of the wait list, Libby will notify you.
- If it is not the right time for you to borrow this title, suspend your hold. You remain at the top of the wait list but allow the next person(s) in line to read it.
- Once you are ready to borrow this title, unsuspend the hold. You will be next in line to read it.
More details:
When you unsuspend your hold, the wait until it is available depends on how quickly borrowed copies of the title are returned, the number of copies available, and how many users ahead of you have also unsuspended their holds.
You can suspend as many holds as you’d like, up to our holds limit of 10 items. There’s no limit to the number of times an individual hold can be suspended and unsuspended.
Libby users can see how many days remain until their suspended hold is canceled by tapping Unsuspend Hold and checking the number next to “Lapsing in.”
Holds that are currently suspended will be updated to have an indefinite suspension period. If suspended holds have not been unsuspended after 365 days, they will be canceled.
There will be no change to existing active holds.
Why this change?
This change has been made by OverDrive to address the impact of holds on public library budgets and user wait times.
Library Budgets
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. Find more information about the rising cost of ebooks and audiobooks here.
Wait Times
OverDrive is making this change so that items spend less time waiting for borrowers to be ready for the item. This will mean that holds will sit unclaimed for less time and are freed up for borrowers deeper in the wait list.
For borrowers, this change means that you can now jump back to the front of the wait list when you are ready for the hold. It will also give borrowers more precise control over when their hold becomes available to them (see the example workflow above).
See the Libby Help website for more information and details about using Libby features.