halfway to a million

Last year, a record 49 different OverDrive digital library collections hit one million checkouts and we’re excited to announce that it looks like, once again, a new benchmark will be set. Records are meant to be broken, after all. In 2015, the number of library systems hitting one million checkouts was 33 and two years later we’re within range of doubling that amount. When we reached the end of June, 60 digital collections had surpassed 500,000+ circulations and another ten are just off that pace. In fact, 15 of them have already passed the one million checkout threshold.

The Million Checkout milestone is both a great achievement and a marketing tool for our library partners. Many libraries boost their marketing efforts during the holidays to promote the service and reach that goal. Neighboring libraries have even created friendly competitions to see who can circulate the most eBooks, audiobooks and other digital content. These events often spark inspiration for other libraries to say, “Next year that will be us!” While we love this gumption to plan for next year, there’s still time to reach new heights in 2017.

If you’re working on breaking records at your library, be sure to access our Resource Center often for printable marketing materials, social media posts and tips and tricks from our Training Team. Try creating new curated collections on your website to keep circulating your available content, and be sure to take advantage of our frequent Marketplace sales to maximize your budget. If you have an “out of the box” idea, simply email your Account Specialist and they can help you execute it to hit your goals. We’ll continue to share the best ideas over the coming months.

Regardless of what your goals are, we recommend visiting Marketplace to view your circulation reports and compare them to last year. As always, your OverDrive reps are happy to help you add new content, curate lists and market your collection to help assure libraries of all sizes are smashing records by year’s end.