The service we use for ebooks (and downloadable audiobooks) is called Overdrive, and recently a new title suggestion feature has been added to our Overdrive catalog.

There are two ways to get to this suggestion feature. First, be sure to search our Overdrive catalog to see if we already have the title you’re looking for. At the bottom of every search page (including the “No Results” screen), you’ll see this banner:

Clicking that will automatically search the entire Overdrive catalog of available titles for your search criteria – not just those that the Chelmsford Library has already purchased, but everything we could potentially purchase too. If the title is available for purchase, click the “Recommend” button, and fill in your patron information. Then, if the title is purchased, you will be notified when it’s available for checkout.

The second way to search for purchase recommendations is through the Advanced Search page. At the bottom are options for the scope of your search:

Choosing “My library’s collection” (which is the default option) will only search what we’ve already purchased. However, choosing “Additional titles to recommend” lets you search all available-to-purchase titles, and gives you the option to click the “Recommend” button to let us know you’re interested.

All patron recommendations are reviewed by the MVLC ebook selection committee, who decide whether or not to purchase them for the consortium.

If you have any questions about this new suggestion feature or Overdrive ebooks in general, please contact the Reference staff at askus@mvlc.org or 978-256-5521 x211.