The Front Range Downloadable Library broke records in 2022 with over 1 million checkouts.
The Front Range Downloadable Library includes Boulder, Broomfield, Lafayette, Longmont, Louisville, Loveland and Westminster public libraries.
The consortium of libraries adopted 24/7 access to ebooks and audiobooks over 15 years ago. These books are available through the OverDrive app and the Libby app.
Interest in digital books has grown for the consortium each year, however, 2022 marked a new milestone. Together patrons checked out more than 1 million books.
“The consortium members are delighted to join OverDrive's ‘Million Checkout Club',” said Gina Scioscia, Digital Resources Manager at FRDL. “We're thankful we could provide digital content to patrons during the months of closures and shortened hours through the pandemic years. Many of our patrons were new to digital content during that time but quickly adopted these formats to continue to enjoy their favorite authors and new releases. We're also grateful for the Public Library CONNECT service that OverDrive offers which allows members to connect with their local schools and students. We've experienced double-digit growth each year, but last year was one for the record books.”
The milestone also boosts the Front Range Downloadable Library into one of only 129 public library systems worldwide to surpass 1 million checkouts, according to a news release.
The most popular checkouts include “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” by J.K. Rowling for youth readers and “Apples Never Fall” by Liane Moriarty for adult readers.
Patrons who hold a library card from any of the member libraries can access the downloadable selection using any major device including Apple, Android, Chromebook or Kindle. The digital library can also be accessed through the Libby app or by visiting https://frontrange.overdrive.com/.
