Item holds can function as both the bane of patrons, and valuable insight for librarians. The more holds on an item, the more popular it may be, helping inform future purchasing choices.

Jill Grunenwald, Communications Specialist at OverDrive, discusses OverDrive’s approach to the admin side of its Libby app. While some librarians choose to manually look at the holds list and how many people are waiting on an item, they also have a more hands-off option, “that will automatically manage the holds and put a cart together based on a high hold ratio if needed, and they can buy it from there.”

In this final episode, Grunenwald drills down into the types of lending models libraries can choose from—metered access; one copy, one user; simultaneous-use—and which are most practical for an institution’s needs. She also discusses OverDrive’s growing catalog of university press titles, course texts, and foreign ebook and audiobook options.