Orem library panel presses for a digital strategy as e‑collections surge and vendor costs rise

Orem — Library digital services staff told the advisory commission that digital checkouts and streaming now represent a substantial portion of circulation and that rising vendor costs and shifting pricing models require a formal strategy and public input. Julie, the library’s digital‑services staff member, told commissioners that digital platforms include databases, downloadable ebooks and audiobooks (OverDrive/Libby), and streaming services such as Hoopla and Kanopy, and that those services have different pricing models: flat annual platform fees, leased titles for limited terms, single‑copy purchases, or pay‑per‑use models. She illustrated the cost challenge by noting a recent lease price for a popular title: the ebook lease for a 24‑month term was about $70 and the audiobook lease was about $113. Julie said the library’s catalog and discovery tools (NoveList/Novelist Select) and the Beehive Library Consortium — administered through the Utah State Library with IMLS support — let Orem leverage…