Here’s part of a message to librarians from Noble Director Ron Gagnon, about ebook lending in area libraries, including Reading:

“Our OverDrive collection size and circulation has grown by about 80% over the past year…..

The biggest part of the collection growth is in ebooks, growing from 298 last June to 1,149 this year.

Overall circulation of downloadables has increased by 84%, comparing the months of June 2010 and June 2011. Over half the circulation is ebooks. The biggest component of the growth is in ebooks, whose circulation more than quadrupled year over year, from 359 to 1,503.

Even with the much larger collection, pending holds have more than tripled, from 473 on June 30, 2010, to 1,550 on June 30, 2011.

[Individual] library patrons served has also increased to a similar degree, seeing a 79% increase this June over last June.

Here are some details.”

Total copies in collection, audiobooks and ebooks:
June 30, 2011 – 2,881
June 30, 2010 – 1,591

Total checkouts in June:
June, 2011 – 2,903
June, 2010 – 1,574

Holds:
June 30, 2011 – 1,550
June 30, 2010 – 473