Collection development librarian explains why Libby wait times and limits frustrate patrons

Andrew Frisbie, the collection development librarian, told the North Liberty Library Board that long wait times on Libby are a function of licensing, not an arbitrary block on access. “Were not really purchasing books. Were purchasing license to access those books,” Frisbie said, describing the difference between physical ownership and digital licenses.

Frisbie outlined three main license models: a one-copy/one-user permanent license, metered access (time- or checkout-limited licenses), and cost-per-checkout licenses that run roughly $9.50–$10 per use. He said the board’s purchasing decisions are guided by a hold-ratio target of about four holds per license; when holds per license are higher the library prioritizes buying additional copies. For a highlighted title Frisbie showed, the system reported roughly 300 people waiting with roughly 20–32 library-owned copies and a six-month estimated wait time. He also said about 30–40% of copies in their view are configured as “lucky day” copies that cannot be placed on hold and are available only when someone returns a copy.

Frisbie described specific limits and outcomes board members could cite to patrons: patrons can place up to 10 holds; some popular audiobooks and newer releases are simply unavailable to libraries because publishers sell exclusive rights to vendors such as Audible/Amazon. “If its only available on Audible, Amazon makes that very, very literal,” Frisbie said, adding that roughly 40% of e-audio requests he handles are denied because the publisher does not make library licenses available.

He gave several cost examples to underline trade-offs: a set of 17 permanent digital copies of Educated by Tara Westover cost roughly $95 per copy (about $1,600 total for that title across the consortium) and, across 2,700 consortium uses, worked out to about $0.58 per use; by contrast, cost-per-checkout licenses would have cost roughly $9.50 per circulation. Frisbie also said he purchased seven permanent licenses of a title that resulted in 432 checkouts by North Liberty residents, equating to about $1.54 per local use.

Board members pressed on operational details. Frisbie said he typically makes purchases twice a month, that metered licenses can be allowed to age out after demand falls, and that the Palace Project (an alternative discovery/fulfillment platform) will allow some simultaneous-access titles and expanded search options. He recommended staff and trustees use a short public-facing explanation to help answer frequent patron questions about why digital copies are limited.

Frisbie said he will reuse the presentation for staff training and provide talking points for marketing or patron-facing materials to reduce confusion.