HOLLAND, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--hoopla Digital, the only all-in-one digital media app for public libraries and their patrons, released new data on how patrons interact with and feel about digital library services and found patrons want more instant access to content.
The survey, conducted among 1,000 U.S. library cardholders who have used a digital library service (including eBooks, audiobooks, music, movies, TV, comics and manga) within the past 12 months, explored library patrons’ sentiment, behaviors and pain points in finding digital content at their local libraries. Altogether, the results show content discoverability and building a collection optimized for modern patrons’ digital needs is critical for libraries.
“Librarians face many challenges when it comes to modernizing their processes and collections in the digital era – like working with limited budgets, balancing demands of patrons and navigating the differences in building collections that incorporate both physical and digital content,” said Ann Ford, Vice President of Sales and Customer Support at hoopla Digital. “They need strong partners who understand their challenges and can provide the right support, guidance and resources that meet them where they are at. hoopla is committed to championing libraries and their important mission to serve their communities as the modern library patron continues to evolve.”
Key findings from the survey include:
- Patrons find use in extensive catalogs: 64% of patrons report that the digital content they seek at their local library is unavailable half of the time or more. A quarter of these patrons would check out a different title if the one they came for is unavailable. Having breadth and depth of catalog for digital content and titles available to access instantly will keep library patrons satisfied and engaged with their local library.
- A build up of unnecessary holds often affects content availability: 63% of library cardholders surveyed would either not remove or only sometimes remove a hold on a digital title if they found it elsewhere. Of this 63% of patrons, only 36% keep the hold for future use or re-reading and 34% of patrons would keep a hold because they are unsure if they should remove it. It’s time for one copy/one user titles to stop feeding the “holds monster” and instead, libraries should respond to the demand for more digital content that’s readily available.
- Patrons want more content accessibility: 37% of respondents have hit their borrow limit in the past 12 months and 29% have reached their hold limit, showing that these limits prevent patrons from accessing content. Libraries can appeal to the frontlist while embracing the depth of the backlist, by making every dollar spent go toward content patrons have borrowed.
“The findings ultimately serve as proof points for librarians that the content and access they want for patrons is attainable,” said Ford. “Utilization is the key and providing instant access to content can help patrons eliminate holds.”
hoopla is available in nearly 10,000 public libraries across the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand including Chicago Public Library, San Francisco Public Library and Los Angeles Public Library. To access content on hoopla, cardholders of participating libraries can download the free hoopla mobile app on their Android or iOS device or visit hoopladigital.com.
About hoopla Digital
With a mission to serve public libraries and their patrons, hoopla is the only all-in-one app that provides online and mobile access to millions of eBooks, audiobooks, comics and manga, music, movies, TV, and more with BingePass. Available in 110+ world languages, content on hoopla is available for free with a valid library card. hoopla is the pioneer of the pay per use model that allows library patrons to borrow content immediately, no waits or holds required. Headquartered in Holland, Ohio, hoopla is a service of Midwest Tape, a trusted partner to public libraries for over 30 years. For more information or to download the hoopla app, visit hoopladigital.com.
