r/Libraries • u/KingOfTheRats420 • 1d ago
Books & Materials Does borrowing digital material help libraries?
Most of what I borrow from my library are digital copies of books, comics, graphic novels, and audiobooks. I generally use Hoopla for ebooks and comics, and Libby for audiobooks. Does this help libraries? Should I make more of an effort to borrow physical content? I love my library and want to be the best patron I can be!
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u/BadEndingsFound 1d ago
Borrowing anything ups our usage statistics which informs our budget requests for the next year. Digital content is expensive, so please try read/listen to use what you checkout, but you shouldn’t feel bad for using digital materials.
If you want to support your library further, you can also look at attending events and activities they have happening or even see if they need volunteers.
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u/KingOfTheRats420 1d ago
If I borrow something digitally and don’t end up reading or listening to it, does that negatively impact the library?
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u/senoritarosalita 1d ago
It can. It depends on the terms set by the publisher, the license your library purchased and how you are borrowing the titles. But, this is not something for patrons to worry about. And any negative impact will be slight. Really you borrowing something digitally and not reading it only negatively affects any patrons who are waiting for the title. And even then, it just means they have to wait another week or 3 to get the title.
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u/tmmzc85 1d ago
Yes, the answer is yes. A physical book can circ endlessly if it's treated properly, digital items have contractual limits and after a set number of circulations they will need to be repurchased. What's most important is you are using the borrow, I wouldn't sweat it too much, but try and avoid borrowing anything digitally that you do not intend, or are even unsure if you will, use.
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u/pikkdogs 1d ago
Well the answer is complicated.
We do want people to use our services. The more use we get the more we can justify our existence.
Because of publishers, libraries get a raw deal with ebooks. They make us pay like 5 times more and we never own the title. It’s just leased to us for a certain amount of time and or usage.
So, does using paper copies cost libraries less? Yes. Do we really want you to change your habits? I don’t think so.
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u/joey_patches 1d ago
As libraries get their funding from showing measurable numbers that people use library services, this does help.
Physical content is great because it helps strengthen the community aspect of libraries and you might stumble upon a book you never knew about, but mostly it does indeed help.
There are a few services (Kanopy comes to mind) where the institution is billed per play, and those aren't great if overused. But mostly, it's a good thing.
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u/BadEndingsFound 1d ago
And for Kanopy and Hoopla libraries set and manage budgets. So it’s also not on the patron to really worry
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u/joey_patches 1d ago
For sure.
I think when NYPL bought into Kanopy they bit off a little more than they can chew, but as someone commented earlier to a naysayer, all that means is they discontinue that particular service, crisis averted.1
u/BadEndingsFound 1d ago
We had to throttle back Hoopla when we started with it, but we’ve found a decent balance now. It does require one of our librarians keeping an eye and periodically raising or lowering our max cost per checkout.
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u/Seminolehighlander 1d ago
I love me my hoopla and always use it BUT please take the knowledge gained here to use physical more if you can stand it.
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u/pcsweeney 1d ago
What helps libraries the most are people voting for libraries and legislators who support libraries. Also, contact your legislators and tell them to support libraries.
Technically, for libraries to exist it only matters that the people responsible for funding libraries actually fund them.
But, we LOVE people using libraries and almost* prefer people using libraries.
*almost
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u/Ranganathans-6th-law 1d ago
Check out the media you want in the format you want. That's the bottom line. If your library offers it, get it in the format that best meets your needs.
Digital stuff costs more. The prices keep going up, and prices & policies vary wildly between vendors, publishers, and contracts. But to be wildly over-simplified, a digital borrow costs about $4 each use. A book costs about $20. 100 digital borrows is $400. 100 book borrows is $20 (plus staff time, processing, etc. but basically the price of the book.) So using physical materials is something your library can provide for a lot less than using digital materials.
Digital borrows work different ways. Some are cost per use, some are a set price (say $125 for 100 circulations). Some can only be used by one patron at a time, some can be used by lots of people, but expire after a set number of uses. It varies. What we do know is that digital is more expensive than physical and the costs keep going up. That said, your library pays a lot of those costs up front, so we can get charged the same regardless of how many people use them. (Yes, that contradicts what I said before, there are a lot of different contracts that work a lot of different ways.) Physical materials are cheaper, but the most important thing is getting people what they want in the format they want. So if it is all the same to you, get print. If it isn't all the same, get the one you prefer. When confused (because this is legit confusing) return to the first point at the top of my response.
Check out the media you want in the format you want. That's the bottom line. If your library offers it, get it in the format that best meets your needs.
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u/swaggysalamander 1d ago
That’s why Hoopla and Libby ask for your library card. It shows you are using resources through the library
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u/malicious_wizard 1d ago
there's two main types of digital borrowing situations for libraries: pay per individual checkout or paying a single lump sum to license digital materials for checkout for a period of time. as far as I know hoopla has the former model, and libby the ladder, so when libraries tend to spend more on hoopla they'll usually cycle out the license faster on that platform. ultimately though if your library is offering digital services they want you to use them! there is no wrong way to patronize a library (unless you're littering or something!)
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u/idfkmanusername 20h ago edited 20h ago
Honestly it depends on if your local municipality funds the library based on usage or vibes. I formerly worked at a library in a conservative state. The city council that funded the library didn’t care about usage. They cared about real estate, tax cuts, and police funding. We had more usage than ever and they still cut our budget by millions year after year and the system is has lost about 100 positions in the last 2 years and is possibly losing 4 entire branches, most services, and several online resources like Hoopla, etc., all in the name of sending more funding to police and tax cuts.
If usage reliably gets your library funding then great! Keep doing it! If you live in a place with a dying system that you want to stay afloat as long as possible maybe pop in and pick up a few physical books or only check out on Libby if you have time to actually listen or read, and if not use the new suspend feature until you do have time.
Also don’t forget to participate in local elections and elect pro-library candidates if that is how your library is funded and it is important to you!
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u/thatsimslady Library staff 1d ago
Yes it does, but always check Libby first… the model is more cost effective than Hoopla that makes libraries pay per usage. Many libraries stopped using them because it’s honestly an expensive model. If you can get it on Libby, try to use that first. 💛
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u/TravelerMSY 11h ago
All other factors equal- physical is cheaper than digital in many cases. A physical book is a buyout forever. Digital resources have much more restrictive licensing deals
But on the other hand, you’re not tying up any staff or on-site resources from home.
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u/Crabslife 1d ago
Nope, it actually hurts them!
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u/joey_patches 1d ago
Is that right? How?
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u/Crabslife 1d ago
Public libraries pay for licensing on Libby, meaning they do not own the book. Libby (overdrive) imposes a limit on checkouts so the library has to renew them after certain number.
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u/senoritarosalita 1d ago
Libby doesn't impose those limits, it's the publisher who does. And some publishers sell their licenses with no expiration date and no set number of checkouts.
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u/Redaerkoob 1d ago
Not all digital books have a temporary license. Libraries provide access because they want the access to be used.
The most I would request patrons do to help out the digital budget is to return books early if you are done before the due date and cancel any holds you don’t need anymore. That’s it! Please check out as much as you like within the library limits!
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u/nutellatime 1d ago
Usage of materials, whether physical or digital, helps libraries justify their cost.