Brooklyn Library discontinuing out-of-state library cards

[astrangerhere]

Originally Posted by issybird

According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg library website:

<SNIP>

Its also worth noting that Charlotte-Meck's main library is in the middle of uptown Charlotte which has RIDICULOUS real estate prices and was supposed to close just before the pandemic for a massive upfit and remodel. I suspect that out of state borrowers are "contributing" to that as well.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by issybird

Use advanced search and filter on epub; that’s where I got the number. It’s a few thousand more than Kindle books. Similarly, you can filer by OverDrive Reads.

Something is way off, as those numbers don't at all match up with what's listed on my link. Perhaps the library updated in one place and not in another. I guess the thing to do is look at specific titles or categories to see what format is available.

Knowing that Queens uses Axis360, I guessed that “OverDrive Reads” was search-speak for the Axis360 holdings. But in any case, it does seem as if epubs/Kindle books amount to half the ebook holdings.

https://queenslibrary.overdrive.com/...tBy=newlyadded

ETA: OK, I’ve looked around more and see you have to access the Axis360 books from the main library web page, so I was wrong about that. That’s a lot of magazines, then! And the 48,000 represents half the content on OverDrive alone.

Yes, Axis360 is separate. I rarely use it; my recollection is that the ebooks were accessible for any ereader, but the audiobooks required the Axis360 app.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Something is way off, as those numbers don't at all match up with what's listed on my link. Perhaps the library updated in one place and not in another. I guess the thing to do is look at specific titles or categories to see what format is available.

Using advanced search to filter all ebooks gets exactly the same number as in your link. So what accounts for double the number of OverDrive Reads compared to epubs? Beats the heck out of me. I had to look up OverDrive Reads, as I’d not heard of it before.

[John F]

Originally Posted by issybird

Using advanced search to filter all ebooks gets exactly the same number as in your link. So what accounts for double the number of OverDrive Reads compared to epubs? Beats the heck out of me. I had to look up OverDrive Reads, as I’d not heard of it before.

In addition to OverDrive reads, there is something called "MediaDo"

https://metrolibrary.overdrive.com/media/6428034

Looks like comics/manga*

https://help.overdrive.com/en-us/1123.htm

* please forgive my ignorance on comics/manga.

[John F]

Originally Posted by Fbone

I signed up for the Metropolitan card. Very fast and easy.

They have three titles Brooklyn didn't have.

I also joined. Like you said, very easy to sign up and they were very responsive. A couple of emails this morning and I now have a card.

[John F]

Originally Posted by issybird

...

I’ve read 35 library books so far this year; let’s round that down to a rate of 60/year. Some of those were books with an unlimited license and no waitlist. But the vast majority were books with an exploding license or waitlist or both, so those transactions had a cost. It’s hard for me to see how $50 would cover that. And especially for libraries which offer Hoopla to paid patrons; Hoopla is hugely expensive.

Issybird, how much do you use Hoopla on your out of state libraries. I don't use it at all (for in state or out of state).

My library is cheap (they limit their "purchase" of overdrive ebooks due to cost) and yet they offer Hoopla, which makes me wonder how much Hoopla is actually getting used.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by John F

Issybird, how much do you use Hoopla on your out of state libraries. I don't use it at all (for in state or out of state).

My library is cheap (they limit their "purchase" of overdrive ebooks due to cost) and yet they offer Hoopla, which makes me wonder how much Hoopla is actually getting used.

My Hoopla story:

Originally my two out-of-state libraries and big city libraries at that (Boston & Philly) offered Hoopla, which I used for audiobooks. It’s a fantastic source for audiobooks of older fiction in particular, both mid-20th century popular fiction and classics. But then Boston dropped the audiobook component and FLP first cut back and then dropped it altogether. Reading the writing on the wall, in the meantime I’d asked at my local library if they’d consider offering Hoopla and was given a flat no. Far too expensive. I wasn’t entirely surprised, as this is a small town and the library is underfunded and obviously Boston & Philly had let it go for cost reasons. Then I no longer qualified for cards at Boston or FLP, but I suspect as a Covid measure, my town library decided to offer it after all. My timeline is off here; I was never Hoopla-less, but it was close.

So, coming around to your question, I don’t have Hoopla access out of state anymore, just locally. I use it quite a bit. I mentioned audiobooks. I probably average two, sometimes three a month. Another advantage of Hoopla is that it’s on demand, while timing can be tricky on OverDrive audiobooks which usually have a waitlist. And lately, I’ve started watching Father Brown, but I have to ration myself as I get six borrows a month and the audiobooks are my priority. I suppose if this started to chafe, I could get a paid card for more borrows, but I don’t have a tv habit so I don’t need a FB fix very often.

I have to hope that you’re right and that no one in my town is using it, or just enough that TPTB decide it’s worth keeping while it doesn’t break the bank. Going back to the paid out of state card issue and Hoopla as well, I think the future looks ominous. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if availability continued to dwindle. And my state OverDrive has only 14,000 ebooks and it’s all junk.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by issybird

So at $45, quite a bit more than just a few dollars per capita

You are correct. I was looking at state subsidies above municipal funding levels. So I'd bet that these fees are indeed in line with the average tax contributions in general.

Even so...

[...]but they have no choice in terms of subsidy. So it seems virtually certain to me that someone who opts in at the same price is someone who’s going to be a heavier user.

I don’t know that “unfair” is the accurate term to use in these situations; the library sets a fee and people pay it.

Right. I think calling it unfair implies "Pay library tax! But don't actually use the library services much, or that would be unfair!"

However, I think in a lot of cases the library doesn’t understand its costs and how they relate to this particular revenue stream, and that’s why libraries such as FLP and now Brooklyn have cut off non-residents; they finally crunched the numbers.

That would be sensible, and obvious, but then again, we're taking about municipal politics and bureaucracy here, so "sensible" isn't always a given. If it was just a matter of balancing the books, they could just raise the price of the out of state card to a rate that works. If that rate is too high, then people won't pay it, and the end result is the same as cancelling the program. But better.

So I suspect the reasons to cancel the out of state programs are a little less obvious. Perhaps because of some law or regulation, some other source of funding is in jeopardy if they bring in too much money from certain channels, or have the wrong ratio of local/distant users. Who knows.

ApK

[ApK]

Originally Posted by issybird

And lately, I’ve started watching Father Brown, but I have to ration myself as I get six borrows a month and the audiobooks are my priority.

I find Father Brown went downhill in the later seasons

Spoiler:

after Lady Felicia and Sid left

if that's any consolation. I haven't even bothered starting season 9 yet....

[issybird]

Originally Posted by ApK

I find Father Brown went downhill in the later seasons

Spoiler:

after Lady Felicia and Sid left

if that's any consolation. I haven't even bothered starting season 9 yet....

I’m only in season 3 so at a few watches a month, I have a ways to go. And I do think I’ll get tired of it at that. Very few shows can go that long without running out of whatever oomph propelled them at first.

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by issybird

... I don’t know that “unfair” is the accurate term to use in these situations; the library sets a fee and people pay it. However, I think in a lot of cases the library doesn’t understand its costs and how they relate to this particular revenue stream, and that’s why libraries such as FLP and now Brooklyn have cut off non-residents; they finally crunched the numbers.

I agree. As the notice reads: "Our priority remains serving Brooklynites and assuring that they can access the materials they need in a timely manner." Apparently they've crunched the numbers and determined that the additional users is resulting in less access for locals and is therefore not worth the added revenue.

I know people in Brooklyn who are not thrilled to be "competing" with non-residents for access to ebooks/audiobooks, which they believe results in longer wait times. They are pleased with this new policy. Of course, will the reduced revenue mean fewer ebooks/audiobooks will be added to the collection? Hard to know ...

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by issybird

^^And Queens: Annual fee $50. 48,000 epubs, but 86,000 OverDrive Reads, which is unfortunate. Assuming entire overlap, that’s roughly 40,000 books that can only be read in a browser.

That's a big problem. Luckily for me, it's a small disparity for my libraries.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by issybird

Well, that’s a blow. My state OverDrive stinks, to put it mildly. However, I think they’re entirely in the right; $50 was never going to cover the costs of an aggressive out-of-state user.

Move to the Seattle Metro area. We have quite a few libraries with large OverDrive collections. Thanks to reciprocal borrowing, you can join up to a dozen or so libraries depending on which library district you live in. I belong to 6 of the 14 I qualify for. My home library is the King County Library System.

[John F]

Originally Posted by odamizu

...

I know people in Brooklyn who are not thrilled to be "competing" with non-residents for access to ebooks/audiobooks, which they believe results in longer wait times. They are pleased with this new policy. Of course, will the reduced revenue mean fewer ebooks/audiobooks will be added to the collection? Hard to know ...

I will be interested to see how this plays out. My impression is that BPL tries to make sure that the maximum number of people waiting for an ebook is 5-7 (they do this by purchasing multiple copies). This is my impression on ebooks; I don't pay attention to audiobooks.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by issybird

^^And Queens: Annual fee $50. 48,000 epubs, but 86,000 OverDrive Reads, which is unfortunate. Assuming entire overlap, that’s roughly 40,000 books that can only be read in a browser.

They can also be read on Libby. Queens has substantial graphic novel and picture book collections. I poked around to a few OR books without an epub version - every one I looked at was a graphic novel or illustrated book. I borrowed a couple that looked interesting, and they opened in Libby.