CRRL is making some changes to OverDrive and the Libby app to reduce customer wait times, to provide customers with more titles to choose from by stretching the collection budget further, and to make it easier for customers to request that new titles be added to the OverDrive collection.
Starting on July 30, the maximum number of holds for eBooks and eAudio you can have at one time on OverDrive or in Libby will be reduced to 10 from 15. Don’t worry, if you have more than 10 holds at the time of this change, you won’t lose those – you simply won’t be able to place more until you are within the new limit. The maximum number of titles you can check out at one time will remain at 10.
This will result in lower wait times, and since the number of holds that a title has impacts the number of copies that we buy, this helps us stretch the Library’s collection budget further. Especially since eBook and eAudio purchases are often much more expensive than their print counterparts.
If you currently utilize holds in Libby/OverDrive as a way to track your “to be read” list, we recommend you use the “Tags” feature to easily create a wish list. Check the Libby Help section for more information. Or you could check out the “Shelves” feature in the online catalog in order to track items you want to check out in the future.
We’re also streamlining the ability to suggest an eBook or eAudio to purchase on OverDrive. This will now be available exclusively through the Notify Me tags in the Libby app, making it easier for you to make eBook and eAudio suggestions. As a bonus, you can be alerted as soon as your tagged title is purchased (due to the volume of suggestions, not all Notify Mes are able to be purchased).
We also encourage you to check the hoopla website or app to see if the title you are looking for is already available on that platform. Although the titles on hoopla do not appear in our catalog, we have access to over 1 million titles, and they are available instantly for checkout. No holds, no waiting!
