5 Questions with Librarian Monica McAbee

She explains how e-lending works and library buying decisions

In 2020, readers around the world borrowed 430 million e-books, audiobooks and digital magazines from OverDrive, the digital lending service used by 90% of American libraries. That’s up 19% from 2019, as we all turned to digital lending when libraries closed due the pandemic.

The surge in e-lending has brought renewed attention to the high prices libraries pay for e-books compared to physical books, as well as the strict licensing rules around them. Publishers, concerned that the ease of e-lending makes buying books unappealing for consumers, have put onerous limitations on libraries looking to purchase e-books.

It’s a complex and nuanced issue. I want authors to earn money from the books they write, and I want libraries to have a wide selection of books for readers. In an attempt to better understand e-lending, I spoke with Monica McAbee, a selection librarian at the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System in Maryland. She orders both physical and electronic books for library patrons. While she spoke specifically about how her library system works, much of what she said is applicable to libraries nationwide.

Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

How do you decide what books to order?

It’s based on a number of factors. We take requests from customers in an online form. We’re also looking at review journals and materials from publishers. They do online “book buzz” presentations, which are a lot of fun and give you an idea of what publishers think are going to be big.

We also have to know what our customers will be interested in, so we look at our reports of what gets checked out and what just sits on the shelf. We know, for instance, in Prince George's County, we better be providing books by Black authors. Christian fiction is popular and of course mysteries and thrillers are always popular.

How is ordering e-books different than ordering physical books?

We buy print books from a library distributor, like Ingram or Baker & Taylor, and we buy our e-books from OverDrive, which works with publishers to get the rights to sell e-books to libraries.

The big difference between doing books and digital books is that we don’t own the e-book. We own the license to provide to customers. There’s all sorts of different models for lending — we can lend it for a year at a time and then the license runs out, or some publishers say we can have it for 26 checkouts but once you reach that many checkouts, you have to buy another copy.

A lot of publishers are looking at their bottom line and believe that they will do better with these restrictions in place. We librarians don't always agree with that. We think publishers need to think of two things.

First of all, libraries are a public good. So, if you are supporting the libraries, you are doing good. And to only be thinking of the money is pretty short-sighted.

The second reason is that libraries are a great way for people to find out about new authors, check out a book, see if they like it. A lot of people do go on to buy the book after they know about it and have tried it at the library. We are a discovery venue, actually helping to promote a publishers’ books.

How much more do e-books cost than physical books?

I would say on average e-books might cost the library two to three times as much as a print copy, but audiobooks can be even more expensive than that. A single audio copy can cost as much as $109. This is because publishers were very worried when e-books first came out because they never wear out, they don't get lost or stolen. Libraries would never be replacing copies; we would buy an e-book and then have it forever.

It’s difficult to compare the cost over a lifetime of a physical and digital book.  A good hardback might last you for a decade or more. I would say, in general, most of the e-books we purchase, probably last a year or two because of the limits placed on us by the publishers. A hardback book might last decades, a paperback book might last, depending on how popular it is and how well made it was, anywhere between three months and three years.

Is the price difference why the waitlist for e-books is so much longer than physical books?

Yes. We have to stay in budget. We cannot buy enough copies to keep our list down because it would just kill our budget. We could spend all our money on Bridgerton books, but then what would our science fiction readers have to read?

To give you the specifics, we run a three-to-one holds ratio for physical books. So, if a title gets more than three holds for one copy, we buy another copy. But with OverDrive, we run a five-to-one holds ratio, so you’re already waiting longer. And if the book is really expensive, like those $109 audiobooks, I’ve started running a seven-to-one hold ratio because it just would eat right into our budget to try to keep up with the holds.

And I have to ask, any books you want to suggest?

You just asked me my favorite question! The one that I've been really pushing right now is Deacon King Kong by James McBride. I know he's good — I've enjoyed his other books. But, this one was just a delight, an absolute delight. It’s set in Brooklyn looking at people on the margins trying to make a living, trying to survive in any way they can. In any frame of mind that they can. I loved it.

Leave the World Behind by Ruuman Alam was compelling, so creepy. Just to think that this book came out now, in these times. It’s so relatable.

And for a romance, Alexis Hall’s Boyfriend Material was a lot of fun.

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What do you think of your library’s e-lending policies?

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Thanks again to Monica for speaking with me and helping to demystify the e-lending process. You can read some of her staff picks here and follow the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

As a reminder, the fabulous Kathleen Barber will be subbing for me on Monday. I’ll be back the following week!

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