OverDrive

Knowledge Base > Library Administrator’s Toolbox > OverDrive
How is OverDrive Funded?
  • The OverDrive platform is paid for with Central Library funding.
  • Ebook, Audiobooks, and Video are funded through library-managed Advantage Accounts.  Central Library Book Aid is used to supplement Non-fiction content.
  • In 2021 Magazines were funded by Central Library funds with support from Columbia, Greene, Putnam, and Ulster Counties and also with additional contributions from the Plattekill, Kingston, and Woodstock libraries.

Hold redelivery replaces auto-checkout

Hold redelivery replaces auto-checkout and gives users more options for their holds. Users can now select “deliver later” on an available hold if they’re not ready to read it but want to stay on the wait list. Users can still suspend a hold before a title is ready to borrow as well.

This means users can now manage their holds both before and after they become available. By enabling users to pass books they aren’t ready to read on to the next person in line, hold redelivery helps your library connect more readers to the right book at the right time.

How does hold redelivery work?

After receiving notification that a hold is available, users can:
1) Borrow the title within 3 days.

2) Choose “deliver later” and pass the book to the next person in line for a self-selected period. After the “deliver later” date, the user will receive the next available copy.

3) Cancel the hold.

If the user takes no action during the hold pickup window, the “deliver after seven days” option will be automatically applied as a one-time courtesy. If the user takes no action a second time, their hold will be canceled.

Big Library Read

Background: Big Library Read is an opportunity for those with a valid library card to read the same digital title at the same time without any wait lists or holds. Participating in this event allows your library to offer a new simultaneous use title for community-wide access from your library at no cost. It’s a worldwide digital version of a local book club, and an opportunity for your library to generate more interest in your digital collection beyond the bestsellers. Thousands of libraries have already enjoyed great success engaging thousands of new and current users with Big Library Read.

Visit Big Library Read for information on current or upcoming titles.

Macmillan

One copy, 8 week embargo *Lifted 3/17/2020*:  In July of 2019 Macmillan Publishing house announced that they would have an “Embargo” on purchasing for libraries.  Any title with a street date after 11/1/2019 would have an 8 week embargo, where a library may purchase only a single copy. Once the 8 week period expired additional copies could be purchased.  On March 17, 2020, Macmillan announced that they would lift the title purchasing embargo, citing COVID-19 as a reason that Macmillan would set aside differences with libraries.

Macmillan One Copy One Use (OC/OU) titles cannot be shared outside of advantage accounts:  At the same time Macmillan limited library purchasing through the 8 week embargo, they also stopped libraries from sharing OC/OU titles outside of the advantage account that they were purchased in.  This completely undermines our consortial borrowing.  This affects any OC/OU title with a street date of 11/1/2019 or later.  This element was not lifted, and Macmillan has indicated no agreement to change this.

Macmillan Moving to metered access only since March 2020:  Macmillan uses the metered access selling model, with a 24 month activity window.  For More information on Lending models, click the link to view a brief video from OverDrive, or view the information in PDF