Parkland Regional Library System and TRAC libraries have partnered to participate in cloudlinking.
Sylvan Lake Municipal Library is one of the many libraries part of the Parkland Regional Library System that will be benefiting from this new partnership.
CloudLibrary is a resource that will be available to library patrons, Sylvan Lake Municipal Library Director Haley Amendt said.
"Parkland licenses the platform and purchases titles in both e-book and e-audiobook formats, although CloudLibrary has a larger e-book collection."
"Additionally, we provide access to OverDrive Libby, another e-reading platform that tends to feature more e-audiobooks. OverDrive Libby is a newer platform with a growing collection and is often favoured by our patrons."
The library invests in e-books and audiobooks for both platforms.
However, the high cost of digital content is a challenge, Amendt said.
"The average e-book costs approximately $80 per title, while e-audiobooks average $120 per title—significantly more expensive than individual purchases on platforms like Kindle, Kobo, or iBooks."
"Unfortunately, libraries lack the consumer protective rights afforded to individuals, leaving them vulnerable to market practices that drive up costs."
Restrictive lending licenses associated with digital content add another limitation, she added.
"While one might assume a digital copy offers unlimited access, libraries typically pay for single-use copies with time-limited licenses (1-2 years). This often results in substantial waitlists for digital items. This is something the Canadian Federation of Library Associations (CFLA) is actively advocating for."
To address challenges, libraries, with support from regional systems have taken collaborative steps, Amendt said.
"In 2019, Parkland entered a CloudLinking agreement with the four other library systems within TRAC, enabling Sylvan Lake patrons to borrow digital items from other systems (and vice versa) when no holds exist."
"In 2022, Parkland expanded this collaboration by joining a similar province-wide digital lending agreement on the OverDrive Libby app, enhancing access for all library patrons."
Since the COVID pandemic triggered an increase in the demand for digital content, the Sylvan Lake Municipal Library has steadily been growing its budget and commitment to purchasing digital content, Amendt said.
"We aim to continue this progress, recognizing how much our patrons value digital reading."
"Sylvan Lake Library patrons can access e-content by downloading either the CloudLibrary or Libby app on their smart device, or by downloading items directly to their Kobo e-reader."
