DENVER — E-book checkouts at the Denver Public Library have grown 50% since 2019, but that surge in popularity comes with a significant price tag — and long waitlists for borrowers.
Some Denver Public Library members are facing waitlists of up to 12 weeks for popular e-book titles. The reason comes down to how expensive digital books are for public libraries.
The library spends an average of $42,000 to keep the wait time for a single bestselling novel below two months. Each license costs $55 or more and allows only one checkout at a time. Most licenses expire after two years or 26 checkouts.
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The Denver Public Library said it would cost the library $400,000 to purchase one copy of a current bestseller for every person on a waitlist.
Kristen Calvert, the director of library services and community outreach at the Denver Public Library, said the issue extends well beyond Denver.
"It is an issue for libraries all over the country," Calvert said. "You know, it's not just Denver. And to that end, libraries are working together to kind of try to meet with the big five publishers to talk about how we can make this a little bit easier on libraries, because what we're ultimately doing is just trying to supply books to those who are using our libraries."
Public libraries across the U.S. and Canada have issued a joint statement on the cost of e-books.
Library officials say there are several ways borrowers can help.
Calvert said people can raise awareness about the e-book crisis by speaking to their elected officials. Borrowers can also check out a printed copy if a digital waitlist is long, use tabs instead of placing books on hold, and make sure to read borrowed e-books since each license allows only limited use.
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