The Toronto Public Library (TPL) achieved a significant milestone in digital lending, recording a remarkable 14 million digital checkouts in the past year. This figure marks a record for the library, which has seen a steady increase in e-readership. According to library officials, TPL is on track to surpass 100 million lifetime checkouts by April 2025, reflecting a growing trend in how residents access literature and information.
Matt Abbott, the senior manager of collection development at TPL, expressed excitement over this achievement. In a written statement, he noted, “We’re thrilled that our TPL customers have reached this incredible milestone. It reflects something powerful: hundreds of thousands of readers discovering stories and accessing information anytime, anywhere, all for free with their library card.” The library has reported an impressive 35 percent increase in digital checkouts over the past five years.
Growth Driven by Digital Accessibility
The primary method of accessing TPL’s extensive OverDrive catalogue is through the popular app, Libby. This application enables users to read e-books, listen to audiobooks, and explore magazines across various devices, including smartphones and tablets. Oya Darici, an enthusiastic reader and founder of the Toronto-based book club, Wine About Books, shared her experience with Libby. Last year, she read 47 books, with 42 of them sourced from the app.
Darici highlighted how the convenience of accessing free books has enhanced her reading habits and those of her book club members. “I personally used to read like one book a month. Now, I’m reading two to three … and this has been consistent across all of our members,” she said. With rising living costs in Toronto, Darici emphasized the importance of maintaining free access to literature, stating, “With Libby also being free, people have access to all the books at their fingertips.”
The Role of Librarians in the Digital Era
Despite the growing reliance on digital platforms, librarians continue to play a crucial role in the management of digital book lending. Andreea Marin, chief librarian of the Robertson Davies Library at Massey College, discussed the evolving landscape of literacy and the essential function of curation. “Now we have an abundance of information,” she explained. “So now, [readers] need a filter. They need someone to help them navigate this landscape with thousands, millions of records.”
Marin pointed out that digital catalogues remain highly curated in both public and private institutions. For example, she mentioned the University of Toronto catalogue, which allows users to browse books similar to a traditional physical library experience. This feature helps retain a sense of familiarity for readers transitioning to digital resources.
The trend towards digitization is transforming the future of literacy. Libraries around the world are digitizing ancient texts to make them more accessible and free for readers. Yet, Marin expressed concerns about the permanence of digital literature. She pondered the implications of potential global internet outages, fearing that significant amounts of information could be lost. “I always have this recurring nightmare where there’s like a big power outage all over the world and we lose the internet, and then all of that information is forever lost,” she remarked.
As digital publishing and artificial intelligence technology continue to advance, Marin advocates for a careful balance between embracing innovation and preserving physical media. “It’s the newest thing threatening the way we live our lives,” she noted. “You have to look at it as a balancing act: to be welcoming but also cautious. Pick what works best for you.”
The Toronto Public Library maintains an online tracker that enables patrons to monitor digital checkouts in real-time, further enhancing engagement with its services. This commitment to accessibility underscores the library’s role in fostering a community of readers, adapting to modern needs while honoring the tradition of public lending.