Digital Public Library Ecosystem 2023

The Digital Public Library Ecosystem is the network of digital book collection and circulation specifically through public libraries. Digital book collection and circulation have never been more important than they are today. Nearly 1 in 3 Americans has read an ebook in the last 12 months. Audiobook listening is also high; nearly 1 in 4 Americans has listened to an audiobook in that same time period.1 Libraries are one way in which readers gain access to ebooks and audiobooks. Despite this, a holistic view of the digital library ecosystem is largely opaque. Three factors contribute to current confusion about the digital public library ecosystem. One, essential terms like reading, library use, circulation, and holds have been inconsistently defined across the industry and in other reports. Two, the digital public library ecosystem is complex, and different elements of the ecosystem do not necessarily work or communicate with each other directly. Three, availability of books in the digital public library ecosystem is limited by digital licensing and the contractual limitations for digital materials. This report: Defines terms related to digital library lending and licensing; Identifies the current players and processes in the digital public library ecosystem; Explains how digital licensing and circulation work; and Contextualizes why these matter.