1.6M digital books: Did you help Kent District Library break this record?
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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Kent District Library had a busy 2023.
It won the Jerry Kline Community Impact Prize, which came with a $250,000 prize that will be used for four capital projects and scholarships for community students.
It saw the passage of a 15-year millage renewal that lowered its current millage rate.
It also saw a record-breaking year for its digital collection, with readers checking out 1.6 million digital books. Of those, around 960,000 were e-books, while around 860,000 were audiobooks, KDL says.
Also in the digital collection, patrons checked out around 427,000 songs, 92,000 magazines and 75,000 videos. Altogether, the value of digital items checked out by Kent County patrons was around $37 million.
BRING OUT THE GATORADE
Collection Development Librarian Alison Kuchta said the digital trend is partially because “West Michigan knows good value when they see it.”
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She explained digital books gained popularity during the pandemic, when they were “the only game in town,” and have only gained traction since then, with readers liking how convenient and easy they are to access.
This is the third year in a row KDL surpassed one million checkouts on Libby, the digital collection KDL uses through OverDrive. Thousands of libraries use Libby — 90% of North American public libraries have OverDrive, according to its website — and Kuchta said KDL was No. 49 for circulation numbers, up from its No. 54 spot last year.
“Our library system is number 49 on that list for circulation, which is really impressive,” she said. “I think we’re going to keep climbing that list.”
Only 123 public library systems worldwide hit that million checkout milestone on Libby in 2023.
The community should give itself a pat on the back for breaking the record for digital books, Kuchta said.
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“I’m not super sporty, but I’d like to take a big Gatorade bath because that’s pretty amazing,” she joked.
She said she hopes to see that number grow again in 2024, saying she’d “parade around with the trophy” if KDL hit 2 million digital book checkouts this year.
The community loves reading, she said, and KDL’s total circulation numbers have surpassed pre-pandemic numbers.
THE TITLES KENT COUNTY IS READING
Romance held the hearts of Kent County readers this year, coming out on top as the most popular genre.
The most circulated title was “Verity” by Colleen Hoover, a romantic thriller about a writer hired to finish a book series for a man’s injured wife.
Also popular this year was mystery, fantasy, children/young adult and ‘romantasy,’ which Kuchta said is a growing trend and includes popular titles like “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas.
Two of Maas’ books were among the top five KDL patrons listened to. The most popular audiobook was “Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros.
Top five KDL digital audio books in 2023:
“Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros
“A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas
“Iron Flame” by Rebecca Yarros
“A Court of Mist and Fury” by Sarah J. Maas
“The Covenant of Water” by Abraham Verghese
Top five KDL digital e-books in 2023:
“Verity” by Colleen Hoover
“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid
“Demon Copperhead” by Barbara Kingsolver
“It Ends with Us” by Colleen Hoover
“Beach Read” by Emily Henry
Kuchta noted that kids’ books are also rising in popularity for e-books.
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Patrons can access KDL’s digital collections using their library card, which can be acquired online or at any of the branch locations, by going to KDL.org/downloads. Readers looking for books can check for titles that are available now, or they can put themselves on the hold list if there’s a particular title they’re interested in.
HOW DOES KDL ACQUIRE DIGITAL COPIES?
The process of adding digital books to KDL’s collection isn’t nearly as simple as procuring physical books. Kuchta said each publisher’s process for licensing books is different. Some material expires after a year or two or after a certain amount of uses, and it’s becoming more rare for it to never expire.
Some materials, like magazines, are available for simultaneous use by multiple readers, while others are not. Digital material can also be more expensive, Kuchta said, saying sometimes it costs around $60 to $70 to license a book.
“We’re always having conversations with our vendors on ways they can talk with publishers on our behalf to make it more affordable,” she explained.
KDL is also working to make wait lists shorter, she said.
“You just have to weigh what kind of value you see your users getting, our community getting out of those materials and what type of licenses are available,” she explained.
For example, On the Same Page is a new program inviting patrons to read “Tom Lake” by Ann Patchett. As KDL prepared for the program, it acquired 76 e-books and 61 audio books — read by Meryl Streep — of the featured title, along with 720 physical copies.
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As KDL works to continue its digital services, Kuchta encouraged those who enjoy them to share it with others.
No matter how patrons are reading or listening to books — read six books and earn a free mug through KDL’s Let it Snow winter reading club — Kuchta said it’s important, as they can learn about a new topic, find ways to connect with others or learn a new skill.
“It’s connecting with community and finding out what others are interested in,” she said. “You can find materials that would introduce you to places or people or ideas to make us a more successful community. … (It’s also) a way to bring people together.”
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