This column, featuring a message from OPL Director Laura Marlane, appeared in the May 10, 2026, edition of the Omaha World-Herald (NE).
James Patterson has a new book coming out because — well, of course he does. And public libraries across the country will buy it because — of course we will. Libraries buy books. That’s not exactly breaking news.
But do you know how much a library actually invests in a single title? I’m betting it’s a lot more than you think. It’s not just one hardcover on the shelf anymore. Between multiple formats, licensing restrictions and sheer demand, there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes.
When a new title from a popular author drops, a large system like Omaha Public Library might purchase dozens of physical copies, distributed across branches to meet demand and reduce long hold lists. But it doesn’t stop there. Readers want options, so we also
invest in digital formats — eBooks and downloadable audiobooks.
Here’s where things get complicated.
Consumers typically pay $15–$20 for an eBook. Libraries, on the other hand, often pay $55–$60 for a single licensed copy of that same title — and we may have to repurchase it when the license expires. Audiobooks can cost even more, sometimes up to $95 per
license.
Imagine buying a book for your Kindle, only to have it disappear after a year or after you’ve read it a set number of times — and then having to buy it again. That’s essentially how digital lending works for libraries. It’s called metered access. Publishers
set the terms, and most licenses expire after one or two years or after a fixed number of checkouts.
Why the higher cost? In part, because publishers can set those terms. A physical book eventually wears out and needs replacing. A digital file does not. To replicate that natural replacement cycle, publishers impose artificial limits — time-based or use-based
— on library licenses.
There’s also a concern within the publishing industry that if library eBooks are too affordable and accessible, readers might choose to wait rather than purchase their own copies. As a result, library pricing is often set significantly higher than consumer pricing — sometimes three to five times more.
Unlike print, libraries don’t truly own digital books. We purchase access under strict licensing agreements. That means we can’t preserve them indefinitely, lend them without limits or share them between systems the way we can with physical materials.
A small number of major publishers dominate the market, which gives them significant control over pricing and access models. While publishers often argue that higher prices support authors and sustain the industry, these models also serve to protect retail sales.
At the same time, libraries play a critical role in discovery. Readers often try new authors risk-free through the library. When they find something they love, they’re more likely to buy it, recommend it or continue the series. In that way, libraries don’t compete
with publishers — we expand their audience.
And in Omaha, people are clearly exploring. About 80% of our circulation comes from browsing — what people discover on the shelves — while only 20% comes from holds.
So, what does a typical investment in a single popular title actually look like?
The average hardcover costs libraries about $16–$18 after discounts and can easily circulate fifty times or more. Even with all the attention on digital, print remains one of the most cost-effective formats in terms of cost per use.
At OPL, both formats matter — but print is still king. In 2025, print circulation reached 2,249,904, compared to 1,294,108 digital circulations. Despite the headlines and hype around digital reading, physical books continue to dominate use across our system. Our
community clearly isn’t choosing one format over another — they’re using everything we can afford to provide. And we work hard to make sure those options stay available, no matter the format.
Let’s put real numbers to it.
For a recent bestseller, OPL’s investment looked like this:
Hardcover: $16 × 88 copies = $1,408
EBook: $60 × 35 licenses = $2,100
Downloadable audiobook: $95 × 50 licenses = $4,750
Total investment in a single title: $8,258
That’s one book.
Multiply that across thousands of titles each year, and the scale of the investment becomes clear.
At a time when every public dollar is scrutinized, libraries continue to invest in access, equity and community knowledge. Buying a book isn’t just a transaction — it’s a commitment to ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to read, learn and discover in the format that works best for them.
So the next time you download a free audiobook from your library, remember: it wasn’t free to provide. It was a deliberate investment in our community — because, of course, you’re worth it.
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