New limits reflect rising costs and growing demand for digital materials.
Starting January 5, 2026, the maximum number of ebooks and audiobooks you can place on hold in OverDrive and the Libby app will change from 15 to 10. This new limit is designed to help reduce wait times and let you get items faster.
Why is this change happening?
Demand for digital materials continues to grow. In the past year alone, more than 1.2 million items were borrowed from the downloadLibrary OverDrive/Libby collection. Since 2019, borrowing has increased by 50%, and the number of holds placed has grown significantly — leading to longer wait times.
By lowering the holds limit, we aim to:
- Reduce wait times
- Improve access to popular titles
- Ensure fairer distribution of resources
What if I currently have more than 10 holds?
Don’t worry - you won’t lose any existing holds. However, you will not be able to place new holds until your total drops below 10.
Can't the library just buy more copies of popular books?
Digital materials are significantly more expensive for libraries than print books. For example, a two-year ebook license for The Black Wolf by Louise Penny costs libraries $85, while the print version retails for around $40.
Unlike print books, digital licenses often expire after 12 or 24 months, or after a fixed number of checkouts, meaning we keep having to buy them to maintain access.
This pricing model makes it challenging for libraries to maintain large digital collections. By adjusting hold limits, we can better manage costs and offer a broader selection of titles.
How do holds affect library cost?
When many library users place holds on a popular title, we often purchase additional licenses to reduce wait times. This means spending more of our budget on duplicate copies rather than expanding the collection.
Additionally, library users with many holds sometimes don’t borrow the item when it becomes available, which further strains resources.
By lowering the holds limit, Stratford Public Library can better balance demand for popular titles with the goal of offering a diverse and accessible digital collection for everyone.
Tips to reduce wait times
- Use the Tags feature in Libby to create a wish list without placing a hold
- Check out Lucky Day items—our 7-day loan collection—for instant access to high-demand titles
- If you borrow a Lucky Day item, cancel your hold on the regular copy
- Use the Available Now filter to find titles you can borrow immediately
- Return items early when you're finished to help others access them sooner
We understand this change may take some getting used to, and we’re here to help you make the most of your digital reading experience. If you have questions or need assistance with Libby or OverDrive, please contact us at askspl@splibrary.ca, call 519-271-0220 x102, or visit us.