B.C. librarians say more funding needed to keep up with ebook demand

Libraries across the province are voicing a need for more funding to cover the financial challenges of a rise in e-book popularity.

Librarians across British Columbia say demand has never been higher for ebooks, which come at a higher price than their paper counterparts.

According to the Vancouver Public Library, digital circulation increased by 16 per cent in 2024 compared to 2023, while physical circulation declined 3.5 per cent during the same period.

“We saw digital circulation actually outpace physical circulation for the first time”, explains Kay Cahill, the VPL’s director of collections and technology.

“It’s clearly popular and appealing but the challenge with digital is it costs a lot more to print.”

Digital books can cost three to five times more than print ones, because of licensing agreements with publishers. Libraries also pay for book access either by a set time limit or by the number of downloads.

“It is really difficult for us to build the kind of broad and deep collections we would like because of the cost,” Cahill said.

The BC Public Library Association is advocating for new government policies on the issue, as libraries are spending a significant portion of their budgets on digital content.

Rina Hadziev, the director of the association, says action is needed for libraries to keep up.

“We’re starting to reach out to different levels of government to talk about what legislative solution here might be because at the end of the day, this is a public service. This is public money”, says Hadziev.

More than 90 per cent of library funding comes from local governments and librarians worry without more money, they will not be able to keep up with the rising demand for digital content.

“What we’re asking for is enough funding to continue to support communities in their times of need and to make sure that they have what they need to succeed”, Hadziev said.

In September, the Union of B.C. Municipalities passed a resolution calling on the province to increase library funding from $14 million to $30 million. Still, funding has remained stagnant.

Cari Lynn Gawletz is the director of the Grand Forks District Public Library, and told CTV News her community is seeing the same trends as Vancouver.

“When you look at the demand, people are listening to audiobooks more and more. They’re more interested in reading books on their phones or on tablets,” she said.

“You’ll hear people complaining about how they’re waiting weeks, months, maybe up to a year to borrow some new seller because the library just does not have enough copies to keep up with all the demand.”

The province acknowledges the pressures libraries face and tells CTV News it provided a $45 million dollar enhancement grant two years ago, but with added challenges and costs—that one time funding is quickly running out.

“Everyone keeps saying that libraries are valued, but we really need to start paying for them,” Gawletz said, calling for urgent action.

“If we wait until the provincial budget is set or until new grants magically appear from the sky, we’re going to be even further behind than we are now.”