OverDrive hold redelivery is scheduled to go live the week of March 2, 2020. At that time, hold redelivery will replace auto-checkout for all new and existing holds.
Hold redelivery will give users more flexibility to manage their holds and allow them to suspend a hold even after it’s made available to them, while maintaining their place on the wait list. By enabling users to pass books they don’t have time to read on to the next person in line, hold redelivery will help us connect more readers to the right book, at the right time. Please review the below summary for important details about this change.
How will it work?
Libby notifications will alert users when their holds become available. OverDrive will also add a “Notifications” section to our OverDrive website and the OverDrive app. After receiving notification that a hold is available, users can:
- Borrow the title within 3 days. If your library has a different hold pick-up setting, OverDrive will automatically update it to 3 days.
- Suspend the hold by selecting “deliver later.” This option passes the book to the next person in line while maintaining the user’s place on the wait list. After the suspension period (set by the user), the user will be able to borrow the book when the next copy is available.
- Cancel the hold.
If the user takes no action, their hold will automatically be suspended as a one-time courtesy for 7 days. If no action is taken a second time, the hold will be cancelled automatically.
With the removal of auto-checkout, we may see a slight decrease in circulations as users defer checkouts. OverDrive expects this to level off over time as users adjust to the new functionality.
User messaging
In the coming weeks, OverDrive will add the following message on our OverDrive website and in the OverDrive app to provide users with advanced notice of this change. It will link to a Help article with more details.
In early March, we’re releasing a new feature to give you more control over your holds.
Help & resources
As with any change, there will be an adjustment period for users, so OverDrive has compiled the following resources to help with the transition:
- Notifications: Push and email hold notifications will be updated to reflect the new options.
- Marketing and communication kit: At launch, OverDrive will provide updated resources to help us spread the word about this change to our readers.
- API Integrations: OverDrive has shared their timeline for removing auto-checkout with vendors who utilize OverDrive APIs.
Please let me know if you have questions.
~ Hilary Lewis, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh