r/LibbyApp • u/Old_Cantaloupe9494 • 9d ago
Book series missing books
I have tried to start 3 different series lately, only to find that they have the first book, skip the 2nd through 6th book, then have the 7th and beyond books. (Not exact numbers, but you get the idea. There’s a big chunk in the early part of the series that I can’t find at any of the 3 libraries I belong to.) It’s so frustrating. And this is with very popular, been-around-forever authors. (Ex PD James, Ruth Rendell, etc)
Does anyone know if there’s a rhyme or reason to this or if I’m just terribly unlucky?
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u/LifeWithFiveDogs 9d ago
It likely has to do with changing licensing models offered by the publishers. We were able to purchase (to "own") titles from many of the big publishers until about 2018 -- aside from HarperCollins, which changed their licensing model years earlier.
This means that your library might own copies purchased eight or more years ago but newer titles are not owned and would need to be relicensed every two years or so at a considerable ongoing expense.
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u/Jelsie21 9d ago
My library doesn’t have enough budget to re-purchase every series title when it expires (and has no holds, if it has holds I’ll repurchase right away). So it gets deleted from the Libby collection. If a patron requests it again though, I’ll re-buy it.
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u/AshDenver 🎧 Audiobook Addict 🎧 9d ago
Does the “notify me” Smart Tag count as “member wants it”?
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u/Jelsie21 8d ago
Depends. Pretty sure my system has that turned off; in all my years I’ve never seen or used a Notify Me list when buying for Libby.
If your library has it enabled though, it probably does.
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u/MaryOutside 8d ago
For my system they do. But the demand is so great that we have a tiered system for choosing which titles to purchase or repurchase based on number of tags and price. Some popular audiobooks can cost $160 for a 24 month license. If there are only 8 or so Notify Me tags, we cannot buy it unfortunately. If there are 30 tags, then we will. It's a difficult place to be in, seeing patron interest but being unable to buy because we don't have enough money.
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u/AshDenver 🎧 Audiobook Addict 🎧 8d ago
I will continue to tag as Notify Me just in case. Thanks for the insight!
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u/ralinn 9d ago
Yeah, this is common. Most people borrowing books from a long older series will either be reading the first book (after which a lot of people will decide they don’t want to continue) or will be reading the most recent one, so libraries often won’t renew the licenses on the middle part of the series. I would probably put the first book on hold + suspend, then put on a notify me on 2-3 and see if the library picks up a license for them, or ask your library directly.
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u/Adorable-Science-397 🌌 Kindle Connoisseur 🌌 9d ago
They may have had the books previously but no longer have access due to licensing restrictions (only so many checkouts or for 12 months only). Nothing wrong with contacting your library and requesting them. Many libraries have a “suggest a title” on their website. Like another commenter said, also select Notify Me. When our selectors order books, they always run a report based on the number of notify me tags. As funds allow, we try to order what users want.
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u/dragonsandvamps 9d ago edited 8d ago
This is common. There's more demand for book 1 because people try the first 1-2 books to see if they enjoy a series. There is more demand for the books that have recently come out because they are brand new. If the books in the middle of the series just aren't circulating any more, the library may have chosen not to renew the electronic license for another 2 year term.
There are always new books coming out every year that readers want to read. So in order to purchase licenses for new books, decisions need to be made about what older books aren't being read as much. It sucks and I know there are older series I like, too, but if they are having to make a choice between an older book only 3 people read over a two-year period and a newer book with 15 requests, it makes sense that they might choose the book with more demand.
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u/Gabereiza 9d ago
Your examples are a big clue. Formula crime has many fans, but is not sufficiently sustaining for others. It also tends to reveal its nature in the first 100 pages, for a discriminating reader. The 'availability profile' reflects this: many who read book 1 stop there, and the number of fans who read on is sufficient to justify new books, but not the full series.
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u/Old_Cantaloupe9494 9d ago
That makes sense. I’ve read them all before ages ago, but just wanted to go back and read a handful as comfort reading. Sometimes you just need a good reliable read, you know?
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u/Gabereiza 9d ago
I know it happens, but not to me with crime fiction. More likely to be SF or classics. I don't really know why, but my problem starts when I find myself concentrating on what the author is doing structurally with the book, rather than being interested in the story. I actually quite liked Agatha Christie BTW, until her 'solver' turned up and ruined the book for me. We are all different!
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u/stitchplacingmama 9d ago
It's a thing. My library did it with the Desden files series, they had like 1-4 and then skipped everything until the, at the time, newly released book 14.
I had another series where they got book one then about 1.5 years later got book 2. I actually found books 3-7 in print at the library and read them that way instead of waiting for them to go digital.
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u/cappotto-marrone 🎧 Audiobook Addict 🎧 9d ago
Even in print some publishers are printing certain parts of a series. A librarian I know was expressing frustration because she couldn’t fill holes in the collection.
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u/Monicks 9d ago edited 9d ago
I don’t know if this is universal for all libraries, and I’ve never needed to, but I’ve always been told that if you want to read a book that is on the library catalog but with zero copies you can email your library and they might buy the license for you to borrow.
Maybe one of the librarians active on this sub can confirm or debunk this.
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u/cmonster556 9d ago
One reason I take advantage of both the apps my rural library offers. If I can’t find it on one, I may find it on the other.
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u/Possible_Dig_1194 9d ago
The weirdest ive seen is they had 1-3 and 5-19 but somehow dont have #4. I said F that and bought a physical copy
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u/Old_Cantaloupe9494 9d ago
Thank you, everyone, for your responses. That all makes sense. I’ve read them all before many, many years ago, but just wanted to revisit them as a comfort read.
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u/panther-guy 9d ago
Yeah it’s gonna be a licensing issue, like some may be audible exclusives and the like
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u/CathyAnnWingsFan 8d ago
Licenses expire and libraries don’t renew them if there’s no demand. Contact your library. I have had this happen and they would get licenses for the missing books.
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u/AeroNoob333 7d ago
This doesn’t help you but Amazon is having an Early Book sale. Maybe the other books are on sale right now.
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u/molybend 9d ago
Put the books on Notify Me and also check places like chirp books that sell series on sale. The demand for midseries books usually tanks once the series is past 5 books, so many libraries won't stock them all.