PRINTED WORD REVIEWS
Libraries continue the Digital Renaissance: All-Time Records in 2025
Reported by Printed Word Reviews
The local library, no longer just a building filled with dusty shelves, is a digital powerhouse. New data reveals that 2025 was a landmark year for global literacy and digital media, as libraries and schools surpassed 820 million digital checkouts and a staggering one billion minutes of streamed content with the OverDrive apps, according to its public relations lead Madison Stoneburner.
The surge, fueled by popular platforms like Libby, Sora, and Kanopy, highlights a massive shift in how the world consumes information. Public libraries and academic institutions are successfully evolving to meet the "on-demand" expectations of modern readers while maintaining their core mission: providing equitable, cost-free access to high-quality content.
By the Numbers: A Year of Double Digit Growth for Overdrive
The statistics for 2025 paint a picture of a world increasingly reliant on digital library services. Whether it’s a student listening to an audiobook on the bus or a film buff streaming a documentary, the engagement metrics are hitting historic highs:
Total Digital Checkouts: 820 million (Ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines).
Year-over-Year Growth: A 10.9% increase compared to 2024.
Streaming Milestones: 29.9 million plays on Kanopy, totaling over 1 billion minutes streamed.
The "Million Club": More than 200 library systems and schools exceeded one million digital checkouts individually for the first time.
This record-breaking year isn't just a fluke—it’s the result of libraries intentionally expanding their digital infrastructure. By offering flexible, 24/7 access to media, libraries have removed the barriers of physical distance and limited operating hours.
The Sora app has become a cornerstone for schools, integrating digital reading into the classroom, while Libby remains the gold standard for public library users seeking the latest bestsellers on their smartphones. Meanwhile, the success of Kanopy suggests that libraries are becoming serious contenders in the streaming space, providing a curated, educational alternative to commercial platforms.
"The scale of digital adoption and the trust communities place in libraries to provide equitable, cost-free access to high-quality content." stated the release.
As we move into 2026, the trajectory is clear: the "digital branch" of the library is just as vital as the physical one. With over 200 systems now hitting the million-checkout mark, the library’s role as a digital hub is solidified. These institutions aren't just keeping up with the times; they are setting the pace for how we will read, learn, and watch in the years to come.
Here are some the impressive stats:
2025 digital lending records from the Libby and Sora global network:
Total digital checkouts from libraries and schools: 820.5 million (+10% YoY)
Ebooks borrowed: 379.4 million (+3%)
Audiobooks borrowed: 315.9 million (+13%)
Magazines borrowed: 125.1 million (+31%)
Comics borrowed: 55.7 million (+22%)
Adult titles borrowed: 520.4 million (7%)
Children and Young Adult titles borrowed: 174.6 million (+9%)
Public library checkouts: 737.6 million (+9%)
School checkouts: 63.4 million (+14%)
Libby installs: 9.8 million (+3%)
New Kanopy users: 3.6 million (+41%)
2025 streaming records from Kanopy:
Plays: 29.9 million (+8%)
Total minutes streamed: 1.05 billion (+10%)
Top Ten Ebooks by Digital Checkouts of 2025:
The Women by Kristin Hannah
The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
Top Ten Audiobooks by Digital Checkouts of 2025:
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
The Women by Kristin Hannah
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Crash by Freida McFadden
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
The Tenant by Freida McFadden
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
Top Ten Authors by Digital Checkouts of 2025:
Jeff Kinney
James Patterson
Freida McFadden
Sarah J. Maas
Lincoln Peirce
Rebecca Yarros
Dav Pilkey
Kristin Hannah
David Baldacci
Nora Roberts
Top 10 library systems circulating ebooks, audiobooks and digital magazines in 2025:
Los Angeles Public Library
Toronto Public Library
National Library Board Singapore
King County Library System
Harris County Public Library
Multnomah County Library
New York Public Library
San Diego County Library
The Free Library of Philadelphia
Seattle Public Library
Top 5 consortia circulating ebooks, audiobooks and digital magazines in 2025:
MELSA: Twin Cities Metro eLibrary
The Ohio Digital Library
Wisconsin Public Library Consortium
Indiana Digital Library
Maryland's Digital Library
Top digital-circulating library system by country in 2025:
United States: Los Angeles Public Library
Australia: South Australian Public Library Network
Austria: Arbeiterkammer
Canada: Toronto Public Library
Denmark: eReolen Global
Germany: Verbund der Öffentlichen Bibliotheken Berlins (VÖBB)
New Zealand: Auckland Libraries
Singapore: National Library Board Singapore
Switzerland: Aubora OverDrive
United Kingdom: The Libraries Consortium
18 library systems, consortia, and school libraries surpassing one million digital checkouts for the first time:
Gwinnett County Public Library
Prince George's County Memorial Library System
Gold Coast Libraries
Akron-Summit County Public Library
Montgomery County Library District Consortium
Los Angeles Unified School District
Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections
Aubora OverDrive
Pinellas Public Library Cooperative
New Orleans Public Library
Loudoun County Public Library
Boobook
Deschutes Public Library
Central Arkansas Library System
Plano Public Library System
eReolen Global
Boise Public Library
CLAMS
Contact Madison Stoneburner, Mstoneburner@overdrive.com, +1 216-573-6886 ext. 1389, for more information or questions regarding these numbers.
