By: Annie Suhy, Collection Development Analyst

Get ready. Get set. Hold on to your candy canes. We’re fast approaching one of the highest circulation seasons of the year for your digital collection! It’s no secret among librarians that the holiday boom comes just after Christmas when patrons cozy up on the couch with a new device from Santa and check out an eBook for the first time—or when seasoned users make a dent in their reading lists thanks to some extra free time. There’s no better place to go considering the digital library has no holiday hours and is always ready to serve your community, snow or shine.

Is your digital collection ready to handle the holiday rush? Can you hook new users and keep them coming back long after the Christmas cocoa has cooled? Read on for 5 helpful tips on how to make sure your OverDrive collection is sparkly as the star topping your tree:

holiday rush1. Mind the Gaps

As a reader, I can attest that there’s nothing more frustrating than ending Book 1 and not being able to jump immediately into Book 2. I NEED BOOK 2. Or, what if Book 2 is available, but not Book 1? Well then, you can just forget it.

Make sure your series offerings are neat and tidy by using the Series Gap tool under the Insights sidebar in Marketplace. Search by age level and see where you can fill in. You might even spy some series on sale like Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series.

2. Zombies—Not Just for Halloween

Long after the Halloween candy has been eaten, zombie titles still lurk around your digital collection. And I’m not talking about The Walking Dead on audiobook. I’m referring to the titles in your collection that have expired, but still appear active on your site and can obtain holds.

It’s easy to zap the dreaded zombie with a quick Advanced Search. Under Holdings, search for MA: 0 checkouts remaining or MA: 0 days remaining. Under Holds, click 1 or more. And voila! Let the zombie zapping begin.

You can always easily see which titles are on sale as well by selecting the ‘On Sale’ facet on the left-hand bar and save yourself a fortune.

3. If You Promote It, They Will Come

Now that you have the perfect collection, you can SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS! Or, if you’d rather stay on the ground, we have print ready bookmarks and flyers, digital graphics to share on your website or social media, holiday themed event ideas, and more in our Holiday Marketing Kit.

Engage new users and they’re sure to let family and friends in on the “secret” at holiday get-togethers bringing even more new readers to the library.

4. Have a Watch Party!

Grab your staff, bring some cookies, and watch our special webcast: Preparing for the Holidays and Beyond where you can get even more tips to accommodate the rush and suggestions for making 2018 your library’s best year yet.

5. Curate, Curate, Curate

One of the most important things you can do for your circulation is to keep those homepage collections looking fresh. Everyone likes a new suggestion when they hit the homepage, so why not show them something that’s available for check out now while they wait for that hottest new bestseller?

We’ve added some festive draft collections in your Marketplace account that have proven to be perpetually popular like Best Books of 2017 and New Year, New You! It’s as easy as setting live and watching your circulation numbers grow!