Overdrive question

[John F]

My library is member of a group of libraries that have Overdrive available. In addition to books that are available to the group, individual libraries can order additional copies if an ebook is popular.

I'm on the waitlist for one such group. I'm currently number 98, the group has purchased 5 titles, and when I log into my account, I see 6 titles have been purchased.

Is there anyway I can see where I am on the waitlist for the additional titles my library has purchased?

Thanks.

[Gunnerp245]

In your account look under "Holds".

[John F]

Originally Posted by Gunnerp245

In your account look under "Holds".

I logged into my account, and it says:

You are patron 321 out of 335 on the waiting list.
*Waiting list may be shorter for your library.
Library copies owned: 6

So I don't see anything specific for my library?

[4691mls]

I have also seen that "waiting list may be shorter for your library" on a few books I've put on hold. I don't know of any way to find out number on the actual the list for "your library".

In my case, the numbers weren't so high (I think I was number 5 out of 10 or something like that) and I did end up getting the book pretty quickly.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by John F

I logged into my account, and it says:



So I don't see anything specific for my library?

You are going to be waiting for that eBook for just over 2 years if you library has a maximum of 14-days borrow. If the maximum borrow time is 21-days, then it's just over 3 years.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You are going to be waiting for that eBook for just over 2 years if you library has a maximum of 14-days borrow. If the maximum borrow time is 21-days, then it's just over 3 years.

That would be assuming all checkouts are for the maximum and that no one returns a book early.

[John F]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You are going to be waiting for that eBook for just over 2 years if you library has a maximum of 14-days borrow. If the maximum borrow time is 21-days, then it's just over 3 years.

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

That would be assuming all checkouts are for the maximum and that no one returns a book early.

And not knowing what the meaning of "*".

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

That would be assuming all checkouts are for the maximum and that no one returns a book early.

Most people do borrow at the default of the maximum time the library allows. Most people do not know you can return early or even how.

Say it is 21-days maximum and some do know about early return and changing the borrow time. It would still be a wait time of between 2 & 3 years.

[Bookworm_Girl]

My library waits always go much faster than predicted. I think many people just don't redeem them. They forget about the holds and don't see the emails. My library only gives you 2 days to respond to the notification.

[JSWolf]

I've one library that gives me 5 days to collect the eBook, one that gives me 3 days and the rest as 2 days.

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

My library waits always go much faster than predicted.

Mine also.

This is one reason that the 3M system, which does not send email reminders, is almost unusable. They told me a book would be available in a specfic number of days. I put in a calendar reminder to check back about a week before, but I was too late.

Now it's available in 16 days

[KarenH]

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

My library waits always go much faster than predicted. I think many people just don't redeem them. They forget about the holds and don't see the emails. My library only gives you 2 days to respond to the notification.

I've usually found the wait times to be shorter than expected also. I know one reason (because I do it all the time) is that many people have access to several library systems and will put the same book on hold at multiple sites. Once it becomes available at one site, the holds at the other libraries become unnecessary, and either get removed or (probably more commonly) just ignored, which then shortens the wait times for the people farther down the list.

[LupaSola]

I never waited more than a month for a book that I've put on hold through overdrive.

[Ripplinger]

I've waited several months for books where there only 4 people ahead of me on the list. I imagine they each kept it the full 3 weeks. It's not unusual at all and these are older books from the 40s and 50s. These older books only have 1-4 copies max. Newer bestsellers can have as many as 150 copies though, and I imagine those wait lists go quicker.

Knowing about that waiting period makes me always return the book immediately when I'm done, last book I had out only 2 days... it was over the weekend and I read straight through it. I think a lot of people wait until the period has expired and just let it drop off their reader to return it instead of making the effort to return finished books early.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Ripplinger

Knowing about that waiting period makes me always return the book immediately when I'm done, last book I had out only 2 days... it was over the weekend and I read straight through it. I think a lot of people wait until the period has expired and just let it drop off their reader to return it instead of making the effort to return finished books early.

I don't think it's a lack of effort. I think they don't know you can return eBooks early.