During the COVID-19 shut down we’ve been recommending that you try some digital library services like Hoopla Digital or Libby/Overdrive. Now it’s your turn to make a recommendation.

But before you do, here’s some background information. Overdrive, Inc. is a digital distributor of ebooks and audiobooks. At Eisenhower, we purchase ebooks and audiobooks from Overdrive and add them to our digital collection. That collection, called Media on Demand, is shared by the patrons of dozens of libraries across Illinois.

There are several ways to access materials from Media on Demand. You can search for and borrow digital materials in the regular library catalog You can also visit mediaondemand.org or use the Overdrive App. In my opinion, the best option is to use Overdrive’s newest app, Libby, on your phone/tablet.

That’s the convoluted backstory. Now it’s time for you to help choose which ebooks and audiobooks are included in the Media on Demand catalog. Unfortunately, the Libby app doesn’t yet have a “recommend a purchase” option but mediaondemand.org does. If you find a book you want to read there that isn’t in the collection, please recommend it.

We’re adding digital materials as fast as we can to meet demand during the stay-at-home order. Recommended books are being prioritized and, once we buy them, they can be read in the Libby app. Recommendations are format-specific, so make sure you recommend the format (ebook or audiobook) that you’re interested in.

The best part: if you’re the first to recommend an item, you’ll be the first to get it if we purchase it. The worst part: when you recommend a title, there’s no guarantee we’ll purchase it. We probably will, but there are a lot of boring reasons why we might not. On the off chance that we don’t buy your recommended item, don’t take it personally, just recommend something else. You can make up to three recommendations every week.

If all that sounds too complicated, you can just use our Suggest a Purchase form.

At Eisenhower, we strive to build a physical collection that meets the wants and needs of our community. By recommending ebooks and audiobooks, you’re helping to make our digital collections just as useful. Thanks.