Wayne library part of 1 million downloads record

By Carolyn Marnon – The Wayne Public Library has partnered with a group of 49 other TLN (The Library Network) libraries to establish Download Destination, a group of southeastern Michigan TLN (The Library Network) libraries making OverDrive digital materials available to their patrons. OverDrive makes available the industry’s largest digital catalog of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines and other content through apps.
Download Destination announced last month that it had reached a record-breaking one million digital book checkouts in 2020. This accomplishment illustrates the continued growth and importance of library digital lending of ebooks and audiobooks, especially in a year with building closures due to the global pandemic. It is one of 102 public library systems worldwide that surpassed one million checkouts. The Toronto Public Library system was #1 with an astounding 8 million checkouts.
Download Destination member libraries have been providing readers 24/7 access to ebooks and audiobooks for several years through OverDrive and its award-winning Libby reading app. Reader interest and usage has grown every year. Member libraries include Novi Public Library, Livonia Civic Center Library, Waterford Township Public Library, Northville District Library and Commerce Township Community Library.
“The 50 member libraries of the OverDrive Download Destination group are very pleased and proud at having achieved one million checkouts of OverDrive digital materials in 2020,” said Jim Flury, Technical Services Manager of The Library Network. “While the digital format has seen an uptick in usage every year in our libraries, with the temporary closure of libraries that started in mid-March, demand for OverDrive digital materials has grown at an unprecedented rate. Please be sure to use your library card, or contact your library to get a card if you don’t have one, to “check out” our Download Destination OverDrive collection!”
The highest-circulating title Download Destination readers borrowed through OverDrive in 2020 was Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. The top-circulating genre, thrillers, represents the most popular in a vast catalog that also includes romance, biographies and children/young adult.

The top 5 ebook titles borrowed through Download Destination’s digital collection in 2020:
1. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
2. The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
3. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
4. Educated by Tara Westover
5. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

The top 5 audiobook titles borrowed through Download Destination’s digital collection in 2020:
1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
2. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
3. Becoming by Michelle Obama
4. The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
5. Educated by Tara Westover

The top five OverDrive ebook circulating titles for Wayne Public Library in 2020
1. American Dirt: A Novel
2. Where the Crawdads Sing
3. The Giver of Stars: A Novel
4. Such a Fun Age
5. The Silent Patient

The top five OverDrive audiobook circulating titles for Wayne Public Library in 2020
1. Girl, Wash Your Face
2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
3. The Vanishing Half
4. Where the Crawdads Sing
5. The Book of Lost Friends
Readers in southeast Michigan just need a valid library card from a member library to access digital books from Download Destination’s OverDrive-powered digital collection. Readers can use any major device, including Apple(R), Android™, Chromebook™ and Kindle(R) (US only). Visit https://tln.overdrive.com/ or download the Libby app to get started and borrow ebooks and audiobooks anytime, anywhere.
Wayne Library Director Jody Wolak says, “At the Wayne Public Library, we saw a 28% increase in downloadable items checked out in the last fiscal year. If people want to try out downloading an ebook or audiobook, we have links and instructions on our website, wayne.lib.mi.us.
Note: Some information above was obtained from a press release of The Library Network.