[crane3]

I don't know how ebooks are purchased by the libraries but in my area multiple copies of printed books are bought. The system catalogue will state where each copy is & where the copy is available to borrow. So, if 10 copies were purchased by the "Library" & distributed to the local libraries, there is a possibility that 1 copy will be available even if one has to wait a couple of days to get it to the local library for pickup. Exceptions are for something like the Harry Potter books.

I have never seen anything like more than 2 copies available as in 1 kindle & 1 epub in the catalogue. Looks like perhaps the library have relinquished lending of ebooks to Overdrive? Is the limiting factor Overdrive instead of the library system? I don't think that the library system has the same method of lending ebooks as that of pbooks.

The (my) county library system should have available the same number of copies of ebooks as that of the printed books for lending to the public. Cannot understand why the restrictions on the number of copies on ebooks vs the pbooks purchased. Is there a much higher markup for ebooks so that the libraries won't purchase as many pbooks?