In the coming days, we’ll be providing full statistics from another record breaking year in digital library lending. Readers continue to discover the convenience of 24/7 access to their library through OverDrive and circulation numbers have exploded once again because of this. More library systems than ever before surpassed one million checkouts on OverDrive in 2016 and countless others are experiencing massive growth percentages in their usage numbers. In fact, numerous libraries are experiencing greater than 30% growth compared to 2015, which was a record-setting year in its own right.

When people see library systems reaching milestones like one million checkouts in a calendar year, they may think that these numbers were attained through massive marketing campaigns. However, the most successful libraries are using free OverDrive-provided tools and simple promotional ideas available to everyone to reach their goals. Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) who saw a 44% circulation growth in 2016, for example, takes advantage of OverDrive’s automated Holds Manager and Recommend to Library features to meet patron demand.

Peggy Murphy, of LAPL, stated, “Our ability to provide our patrons with the materials they want, in a timely manner, drives our circulation and successfully increases the library’s profile in the community. Holds Manager and Request to Library are powerful tools that help us manage the collection and to meet our patron’s needs.”

Multnomah County Library, who grew by 38% last year, updates their collection frequently, so their users are constantly seeing available content. “Multnomah County Library increased checkout and holds limits early in the year and lowered holds ratios periodically to get more copies in circulation,” said Kady Ferris from Multnomah. “We update curated collections on the OverDrive landing page frequently and featured a local author each month. Later in the year we consolidated our eBook collection to the OverDrive platform, making more titles and copies available to patrons in one place and simplifying their overall online library experience.”

Through the OverDrive Resource Center, libraries can access free, print-ready marketing materials, training materials and collection development tools to spread the word about your service. Libraries use these tools to create an excited and engaged staff, which can be your secret weapon when it comes to spreading the word in your community. Harris County Public Library (HCPL) created a campaign to reach one million checkouts and saw a 34% growth in 2016. Michael Sapertstein, who helped create the Project Mill-E program at HCPL stated, “Part of the success was from getting management and staff excited about eBooks. It helped create a united front the staff could work towards.”

These are just a few examples of how using OverDrive’s resources can help lead to the massive growth at your digital library. If you have any questions about how to create these types of numbers at your library, please us know. Your Collection Development and Partner Services reps can help instill a plan of action to help your 2017 be your best year ever with OverDrive.