About the Digital Library

For eBooks and eAudiobooks on Libby, often only one person can use an item at a time. If all copies are in use, you will be added to a waitlist and will receive a notification when the item is ready.

For all other Digital Library resources, there are no waitlists – everyone can use them at the same time.

Your PIN number is normally the last 4 digits of the phone number you provided when you registered for your library card.

If you are unable to log in or look up your PIN, please contact us.

There are apps for some, but not all, of the services in our Digital Library. Some of the services may require you to sign in and create an account on a computer before logging in through the app.

For assistance setting up Digital Library services on your mobile device, contact your local library.

Starting August 3rd, the maximum number of holds you can place in Libby/Overdrive will change from 30 to 10. This change is designed to reduce wait times for everyone, ensure more equitable access to popular titles, and allow us to purchase a broader range of titles. You will get to keep all existing holds, but won’t be able to place new holds beyond 10 titles.

What is changing?

• The maximum number of Libby holds will decrease from 30 to 10

What’s not changing?

• The number of active loans (5) will remain the same
• Digital magazines will continue to be available with no waitlist
• Notify Me tags remain unlimited
• These changes apply to our Overdrive / Libby collection only, and all other borrowing limits remain the same

When will the changes happen?

• The new hold limit will take effect August 3^rd, 2026

What if I have currently have more than 10 holds?

• You won’t lose your existing holds, but you won’t be able to place any more holds until your total is within the new limit
• You can still borrow titles as usual even if you are over the hold limit

What if I’ve been using my holds to keep track of titles I want to borrow?

• You can use the Tags feature in Libby to create a wish list to keep track of a title without placing a hold until you’re ready

Why is this change happening?

• The demand for eBooks and eAudiobooks has gone up dramatically, with an increase in borrowing of 245% from 2015 and 2025
• Long waitlists for digital titles are frustrating for patrons, and difficult to manage within our limited budget
• When an item has a large number of holds on it, we try to buy extra copies in an effort to reduce wait times, which takes up a substantial portion of our digital budget and reduces the funds we can spend on new titles
• The cost of library licenses for eBooks/eAudiobooks is much higher than print book prices or retail eBook prices, and they are increasing substantially (libraries also get discounts on print books but not on eBooks)
• Reducing the holds limit is one of the simplest strategies to help reduce wait times, and we are following the lead of libraries across Canada in implementing this change

See the table below for the difference in cost between library and consumer prices (these are the prices with a typical library discount on print items – libraries get discounts on print titles but there is no discount on digital items):

 

Difference in cost between library and consumer prices

Book Title	Library Hard Cover (after discount)	Library eBook License (2-Year Term)	Consumer Retail Hard Cover	Consumer Retail eBook Kobo/Kindle (no expiry)
Hope Rises by David Baldacci	$25	$99	$42	$19.99
Wait and See by Iris Johansen	$24	$93	$40	$19.99
Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune	$23	$57	$38	$16.99

 

What can you do?

• Cancel holds you no longer need (once you get below 10, you’ll be able to place new holds again)
• Check out or suspend holds right away when notified
• Return items as soon as you’re finished to help others get them sooner
• Use the Tag function in Libby instead of holds to keep track of books you want to read
• Use the Available Now filter/lists to find titles you can borrow immediately
• Try the Read Sample option to preview an item before you borrow
• Try our print collection! Print waitlists are generally much shorter – there may be copies on the shelf today even when if there is a months-long waitlist on Libby. If there is an available copy anywhere in the province, we can send it to your local library for pickup within days.

Useful links:

• How to use tags in Libby
• Available Now eBooks list
• Available Now eAudiobooks list
• About eBook pricing

Questions?
Our staff are always happy to answer questions, assist with the Libby app, or help with any library services! Please contact us using the contact form on this webpage, email reference@nlpl.ca, call 709-737-3950 or visit your local library.