Prince Harry's 'Spare' waitlisted across Central Texas

Austinites hoping to check out Prince Harry’s memoir, "Spare," should settle in for a long wait.

What happened: The book came out Tuesday, but you can't find a single copy on the shelf at Austin-area libraries.

By the numbers: More than 331 Austin Public Library patrons have joined the waitlist for one of 54 copies of the book.

• An additional 360 holds were placed on 25 copies of the eBook.
• Roughly 400 people were in line for one of 29 copies of the downloadable audiobook.

Yes, but: Central Texans in surrounding cities might have better luck.

• The Round Rock Public Library has ordered two copies with just one person on the waitlist.
• The San Marcos Public Library catalog shows 13 holds for at least one copy.

What they're saying: Austin Public Library spokesperson Baylor Johnson said when staff sees high demand for a book, "We definitely take notice.

• "We look at our collections budget and determine whether or not we need to purchase more copies to ensure that wait times are reasonable," Johnson told Axios.

Zoom out: Even longer waitlists have been reported beyond Austin, according to our colleagues at Axios Twin Cities, D.C. and Richmond.

Driving the interest: "Spare" climbed to the No. 1 bestseller spots on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble in the U.S. following a "press frenzy" over juicy leaks and pre-publication interviews.

Dig deeper: Harry’s memoir in three sentences