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Library staff explain ebook, streaming and subscription purchasing complexities to trustees
Summary
At the Aug. 19 meeting staff gave a detailed presentation on electronic resource collections (Libby/OverDrive, Hoopla, Kanopy/OverDrive, databases and learning platforms), explaining licensing models, pay-per-use costs, hold queues and statewide cooperative purchases intended to reduce wait times.
Library staff presented an overview of electronic resources and purchasing models at the trustees' Aug. 19 meeting, describing differences among streaming services, metered access options, cost-per-use pricing and statewide purchasing collaborations aimed at reducing hold queues.
Staff framed the topic as 'electronic resources through the looking glass' and explained three broad categories: research databases, learning platforms and electronic resource collections (ebooks, eaudiobooks, streaming video, music and magazines). The presentation focused on how payment models, publisher pricing and statewide purchasing affect access and local budgets.
Why it matters: Digital content is a substantial and growing part of modern library services. Licensing models vary (access versus ownership), and the per-use cost of popular titles can create large, hard-to-predict invoices if not actively managed. Trustees were shown specific examples of titles with high hold queues and the relative cost of different purchase models.
Key points and platform examples discussed:
- Libby (OverDrive/Wisconsin Digital Library): Patrons may be able to borrow titles instantly or place holds; libraries can buy copies (1 copy/1 user), metered access (time- or checkout-limited access) or cost-per-use models. The library contributes to the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium (WPLC) buying pool and also spends an 'advantage' purchase allocation that benefits Appleton patrons first.
- Hoopla (pay-per-use): Staff described a period when Hoopla usage caused invoices to spike (invoices in 2023 reached $12,000—4,000 monthly for some libraries). Appleton capped access to items above a set per-use price to control costs and set a monthly borrow limit for patrons.
- Kanopy (OverDrive-owned streaming): Kanopy operates on a ticket model (Appleton patrons receive a monthly ticket allotment); tickets buy access to specific films or courses with variable ticket costs; Appleton participates in a group discount negotiated with Wisconsin libraries.
- Cost drivers and decision tradeoffs: Staff stressed that publishers and distributors often set price points that vary over a title's life, so a consistent number of checkouts does not translate to predictable cost. Examples shown to trustees compared 1-copy purchases versus metered or cost-per-use purchases and the likely budget consequences for high-hold titles.
- Cooperative and state-level responses: Staff described WPLC's role in pooled purchases to reduce hold lists and said other regional efforts are exploring monthly audiobook purchasing or advantage-purchase strategies to reduce the statewide wait queue.
Trustee questions included whether libraries can negotiate ticket levels with vendors and how usage trends for ebooks and video compare to pre-COVID patterns; staff said vendors are responsive but that final pricing often rests with publishers and distributors, and that some circulation lines (children's materials) exceed 2019 levels while adult circulation is closer to pre-COVID figures.
Next steps: Staff said the library would continue using a mix of purchase models and cooperative purchases to manage costs while maximizing patron access; staff asked trustees to be aware that digital access is not equivalent to ownership and can require ongoing purchases to maintain availability for popular titles.
