Most publishers put restrictions on eBooks and eAudiobooks lent by libraries so that they mimic physical books. When the library purchases a license to lend a copy of an eBook or eAudiobook, each copy can only be lent to one user at a time – just like with a physical item.
While library staff monitor holds each week and strive to ensure there are no more than six holds per copy of any digital item, we are not always able to license additional copies of needed titles. Sometimes, an eBook even goes “out of print,” often when a new edition is released.
