Overdrive is the company providing the platform for over 40,000 public libraries in 70 countries to make eBooks and audiobooks available for library patrons.  They recently released a list of the most popular eBooks and audiobooks from libraries in 2018.  It is based on data gathered from over 90 percent of public libraries in the United States.

           

The Bridgeport Public Library is part of a consortia of 11 West Virginia libraries known as WVDELI.   The eleven libraries each purchase at least $10,000 of content each year that is available to all library card holders in the consortia.  It was established in 2008 with six libraries, four public including Bridgeport, Ohio County, Morgantown, and Marion County as well as Fairmont State University and Glenville.  In the following years, Mary H. Weir, Kanawha County, Fayette County, South Charleston and Clarksburg-Harrison joined the consortia.

           

As of this date, the members of the consortia have spent over 2.7 million dollars on content primarily eBooks, audiobooks and streaming video.  Circulation for the entire WVDELI ranges from 36,000 to 40,000 items a month, and cardholders have access to over 70,000 items.  Checkouts are limited to 10 at a time, but all you need to access the WVDELI is a valid, current library card at one of the eleven members.

           

According to Overdrive, the most popular eBooks in 2018 were:  “Little Fires Everywhere” by Celeste Ng, “The Great Alone” by Kristin Hannah, “The Woman in the Window” by A.J. Finn, “Before We Were Yours” by Lisa Wingate, “Crazy Rich Asians” by Kevin Kwan, “Origin” by Dan Brown, “Educated” by Tara Westover, “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood, “The Rooster Bar” by John Grisham, and “Fire and Fury” by Michael Wolff.

           

Some of the most popular audiobooks were: “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” by J. K. Rowling, “Little Fires Everywhere” by Celeste Ng, “A Wrinkle in Time” by Madeleine L’Engle, “Origin” by Dan Brown, “Before We Were Yours” by Lisa Wingate, “The Great Alone” by Kristin Hannah, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” by J. K. Rowling and “The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn.

           

One of the advantages of the WVDELI is that holiday closings and weather conditions rarely affect it.  All you need is an Internet connection and a library card.