Digital library users at the Huntington and Markle Branch Libraries can expect to see an increase in the e-books, e-audiobooks, and e-magazines offered to them through the OverDrive platform and on the Libby app.
On Tuesday March 1st, the library will be joining a large consortium of libraries called the Indiana Digital Library, granting digital library users access to more materials. This new partnership includes the merging of nearly 200 public libraries that serve populations of under 150,000, granting library users access to online materials from all of the member library collections through the OverDrive platform. Digital library users can expect to see more of just about everything once the consortium goes live on Tuesday, March 1.
The merge will happen gradually throughout the day on Tuesday, so users can also expect to see a gradual increase in the titles that are offered through the consortium as the day continues.
Overall, this consortium benefits our library, library users, and taxpayers, so we are excited to bring this expansive collection to our patrons.
- Digital library users will have access to a more expansive collection of ebooks and audiobooks from almost 200 libraries across the state of Indiana.
- The Indiana State Library is paying the platform fees for the entire group, freeing up our budget so we can shift from paying platform fees to purchasing more ebooks and audiobooks for our library users. HCTPL patrons will be first in line in the holds list for items that we add to the consortium!
- This consortium will give digital library users access to e-magazines that we didn’t have access to before.
So, what do you need to do as a OverDrive/Libby user before it goes live on March 1st?
Your current borrows and holds will transfer over to the new consortium automatically. However, your reading history will not. if you do not want to lose your current reading history that shows what you have checked out in the past, use the instructions below to download and save that history:
Libby: https://help.libbyapp.com/en-us/6207.htm?tocpath=Home%7CReading%20history%7C_____3
OverDrive: https://help.overdrive.com/en-us/1137.htm
After the Indiana Digital Library consortium goes live on March 1st, users will need to log into the app again, using the same login information as you currently have. If you have any further questions, give us a call at 260-356-0824.