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Library leaders urge county to fund growing demand for ebooks and eaudiobooks
Summary
Davidson County Library staff told commissioners digital checkouts are rising rapidly and that per-checkout costs for eaudiobooks (Hoopla) and license models (Libby/Overdrive) are increasing. Commissioners asked for circulation and expenditure data so the budget can be adjusted if needed.
Library Director Sheila (last name not provided) briefed commissioners on June 5 about rising demand for digital materials and increasing costs tied to eaudiobook and ebook platforms (mentioned: Hoopla and Libby/Overdrive).
She told the board Hoopla charges the library a per-checkout fee (typically $0.99 to about $3.99 depending on title popularity) and that eaudiobook licenses on Overdrive/Libby can cost roughly $50 per ebook and over $100 per eaudiobook for some popular titles. The library reported significant growth in digital use (library staff cited an overall increase and noted 682,000-plus digital and physical item transactions in the reporting period referenced), and said Hoopla expenditures had grown to more than $5,000 in a recent month compared with about $3,800 the prior year.
Commissioners asked staff to provide a breakdown of digital circulation for 2024 and year-to-date through May 2025, separated into ebooks and eaudiobooks, and to estimate the annual cost under current usage. Director Sheila said she would provide the figures.
Ending: County staff asked the library to supply year-to-date digital circulation and expenditure data so that the budget could account for the rising costs of electronic resources; commissioners flagged potential options including membership-style databases or reconfiguring per-title purchasing to manage costs.
