Borrow More eBooks: Short-Term and Long-Term Solutions

Free Digital Book Sources You Should Try

Onondaga County boasts one of the highest digital collection borrowing rates in the state. If you have ever sat on a request list for an ebook or audiobook in Libby or OverDrive for months, you understand that this is not necessarily something to celebrate. As a user, it can be frustrating using digital books and streaming media from the library. Here are some other ways to access digital content that could be useful to you. These are short-term solutions which may develop some of the same problems that digital collections users are currently experiencing.

Four Steps to Lasting Improvements

If ebook and digital audiobook wait times have you steamed, you’re not alone! Libraries need help and support to reduce costs so they can make more copies of all kinds of digital items available for patrons. Here are the most helpful ways people who really love their library digital collections can support everyone’s reading habits in the long-term; we would be grateful if you channel our mutual frustrations into actionable progress.
We cannot do it without your support.

#1 Get informed by reading the New York Library Association’s eBooks Licensing Reform statement which supports the enactment of NY Bill A.3589 / S.9339. Scroll down on NYLA’s 2026 Policy Priorities page until you get to the section titled eBook Licensing Reform. Here is a short explanation from the New York Library Association:

“If enacted, A.3589 would require that any contract between libraries and publishers who offer electronic books (eBooks and eAudiobooks) be governed by the laws of New York State under its authority to regulate intrastate commerce. Additionally, it would establish a list of provisions prohibited from inclusion in said contracts, thereby affording library patrons across our state equitable access to the content they seek.”

#2 Call your New York State representatives’ offices and tell them you support Assembly Bill A.3589 or Senate Bill S.9339.

Outgoing Assemblyman William Magnarelli, a representative of parts of Baldwinsville, is a current co-sponsor of bill A.3589, so if you are his constituent, that would be an easy phone call to make in the next 2 months.

Assemblyman-elect, Mo Brown, campaigned on affordability; his election website emphasizes his priority of: “ending corporate price gouging. Big companies often make excuses to charge families more money. As your representative in Albany, I will work to stop hidden fees and sudden price hikes that make life more expensive while helping the richest people get even richer.” This goal is perfectly encapsulated by Assembly Bill A.3589 and calls from constituents starting in January about affordable ebook pricing for libraries will most likely be positively received.

Senator Rachel May, a representative of Baldwinsville and other areas, is the current sponsor of Bill S.9339 in the Senate, another easy call. It is important that their offices hear from you, it is doubly important to call if you are a constituent of a different representative not mentioned above.
Search for your NYS representatives by your residential address:
https://nyassembly.gov/mem/search/
https://www.nysenate.gov/find-my-senator

#3 indicate you support (vote AYE) online for New York State Assembly Bill A.3589 AND New York State Senate Bill S.9339 (this requires a free NYS Senate website account). While you’re at it, sign up for bill status alerts so you can see any progress in real time.
A.3589: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A3589
S.9339: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S9339

#4 Dive even deeper into this topic by reading the American Library Association’s whitepaper about the digital public library ecosystem.