Online Reservations and Rising Circulation

This brief article from today’s Chicago Tribune highlights the Chicago Public Library’s Netflix-like online reservation system. The The CPL credits the new system with a significant increase in numbers: circulation up by over 28% since last year and holds up by over 92%.

Interestingly, the author wonders how much of the circulation increase is due to economic worries, noting anecdotal accounts of people switching from bookstores to libraries as a money-saving measure.