eBook Expansion
COMING SOON!
MORE EBOOKS! MORE DIGITAL AUDIOBOOKS! LIBRARY OF THINGS!
Thank you to the THOUSANDS of Davenport residents who completed our recent community survey! We are excited to implement ideas you shared to ensure that the Davenport Public Library continues to connect a diverse community to resources that educate, enrich, and entertain.
You overwhelmingly asked for more ebooks and digital audiobooks, and we heard you loud and clear! In order to meet this need, Davenport Public Library is excited to announce that we are QUADRUPLING our collection of digital materials by joining the BRIDGES Consortium! Through collaboration with Iowa libraries via the BRIDGES Consortium, library patrons will soon gain access to over 72,000 ebooks, 24,000 digital audiobooks, and 5,400 digital magazines. You will be able to access these titles seamlessly through the Libby app. Access to BRIDGES titles will start on July 1, 2025!
Additionally, many of you requested an expansion to our current TechKnow Library collection of devices and other nontraditional items you can check out to try at home instead of making expensive purchases. Thanks to a successful fundraising campaign from the FRIENDS of the Davenport Public Library, we are expanding this collection to create a brand-new Library of Things! You’ll be able to check out cake pans, outdoor games, crafting supplies, tools, and much more when the Library of Things officially launches on October 1st!
In order to allocate funding and space for these new materials, and in alignment with our Collection Development Policy, starting on June 30th Davenport Public Library will no longer purchase physical audiobooks for our collection. This was a difficult decision to make and was arrived at due to the following factors:
- Usage of our physical audiobooks has steadily decreased in recent years – in the last five years alone, the number of checkouts has plummeted by 56%. This is in stark contrast to our digital audiobook usage, where circulation trends upward every year with increases as high as 36%.
- Availability of physical audiobooks has also decreased over the years, as most BOCD publishers are no longer even in business and others do not make titles available for libraries to purchase.
- Cost of physical audiobooks has increased over time and provides less access than digital titles; for instance, the $25,113.76 fee for participation in BRIDGES would allow access to over 102,000 titles, significantly more than we could purchase in physical format. That is a very good return on investment for taxpayers!
We understand that the removal of physical audiobooks may pose challenges, especially for those without access to personal devices. Many alternative options remain available, including digital audiobooks through the Libby app, Tumble Book Library featuring interactive storybooks, and our newest collection of digibooks including Vox and Wonder Books—physical print books with a built-in audiobook similar to Playaways. If you have a low vision, a vision disability, a physical disability, or a reading disability, you may be eligible to receive books and other materials from the Iowa Department for the Blind. They offer a variety of ways to listen to books. Contact the Iowa Department for the Blind at 1-800-362-2587, option 2 to learn more about their services.
Thank you for your patience as we navigate changes to our spaces to accommodate these exciting changes!