Toronto Public Library Achieves Record 14 Million Digital Checkouts

The Toronto Public Library has reported a remarkable achievement, logging a record 14 million digital checkouts in the past year. This milestone highlights the library’s ongoing commitment to expanding its digital offerings. With a steady increase in e-readership, the library anticipates reaching 100 million lifetime checkouts by April.

In a statement, Matt Abbott, senior manager of collection development, expressed enthusiasm about this accomplishment, stating, “We’re thrilled that our TPL customers have reached this incredible milestone. It reflects something powerful: hundreds of thousands of readers discovering stories and accessing information anytime, anywhere, all for free with their library card.”

Over the past five years, the Toronto Public Library has experienced approximately a 35 percent increase in digital checkouts from 2021 to 2025. Data from OverDrive, the library’s largest e-book, audiobook, and magazine collection, indicates growth across all three media formats, with e-books leading the charge.

Libby App Fuels Reading Growth

A significant factor contributing to this surge is the popularity of the Libby app, which allows users to access the OverDrive catalogue via smartphones, tablets, computers, and certain e-readers. Oya Darici, an avid reader and founder of the Toronto-based book club, Wine About Books, noted that she read 47 books last year, with 42 of those accessed through Libby.

Darici highlighted the app’s role in increasing her reading frequency, stating, “I personally used to read like one book a month. Now, I’m reading two to three… and this has been consistent across all of our members.” With rising living costs in Toronto, Darici emphasized the importance of maintaining a free book club, noting, “With Libby also being free, people have access to all the books at their fingertips. It’s really easy for people to join and then contribute to one of our meetings.”

The Role of Librarians in the Digital Age

Despite the rise of digital platforms, librarians continue to play a crucial role in the book-lending process. Andreea Marin, chief librarian of the Robertson Davies Library at Massey College, stated that the evolution of literacy has heightened the need for the curation of literary works. “Now we have an abundance of information,” Marin explained. “So now, [readers] need a filter. They need someone to help them navigate this landscape with thousands, millions of records.”

Marin emphasized that digital catalogues remain highly curated in both public and private institutions. “Librarians still manage the back end,” she said, referencing the University of Toronto catalogue’s feature that mimics the physical library experience by allowing users to browse books on the same shelf.

Looking to the future, Marin expressed concern about the permanence of digital literature as more authors create “born digital” texts. “I always have this recurring nightmare where there’s like a big power outage all over the world and we lose the internet and then all of that information is forever lost,” she remarked.

As the landscape of publishing continues to evolve, Marin advocates for a balance between embracing digital advancements and preserving physical media. “It’s the newest thing threatening the way we live our lives,” she said. “You have to look at it as a balancing act: to be welcoming, but also cautious. Pick what works best for you.”

The Toronto Public Library offers an online tracker that allows patrons to monitor digital checkouts in real time, further enhancing the user experience and emphasizing the library’s commitment to accessibility in the digital age.