E-Book use dramatically increased last year due to the coronavirus; with libraries and bookstores closed or services limited, readers turned to online access for books and materials.  Users of the WVDELI certainly noticed that holds also dramatically increased as everyone wanted to read the same books. 

 

As I’ve pointed out in previous columns, the 11 libraries that form the WVDELI contain nearly 500,000 people in their service areas.  That is a lot of competition for the same bestsellers.

 

Panorama Picks provides data about eBook use in libraries in the United States.  They have just released information about what books are the most in demand in libraries and then break it down by region. 

 

The most popular books in public libraries nationwide from October-December 2020 were “The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett, “The Guest List” by Lucy Foley, “The Giver of Stars” by Jojo Moyes, “28 Summers” by Elin Hilderbrand, “The Book of Lost Friends”  by Lisa Wingate, “Such a Fun Age” by Kiley Reid, “Untamed” by Glennon Doyle, “The Splendid and the Vile” by Erik Larson, “The Body” by Bill Bryson, and “Get Out of Your Head” by Jennie Allen. 

 

The current most in-demand item on the WVDELI is Kristin Hannah’s “The Four Winds,” a novel about the Great Depression.  It has hundreds of holds even though the consortia own 11 copies available to everyone; the advantage collections own 10 of which Bridgeport owns 4.  There are 23 holds on the four copies for Bridgeporters.  So, don’t be put off when you see that you are 53 in line on 21 copies.  If you have signed into your Bridgeport account, you are 24 on four copies which means you have five people ahead of you and maybe a wait of three to four months not three years. 

 

Most of the WVDELI libraries have advantage collections that limit use to their own patrons for those titles.  I keep an eye on holds placed by Bridgeporters and try to buy a copy for every five holds.  At 24 holds, we are almost due for another copy.