OverDrive Announces Library eBook Leaders for 2012

CLEVELAND, OH--(Marketwire - Mar 13, 2013) - Today OverDrive released data highlighting the libraries and schools within its worldwide network achieving the greatest growth and exposure for their eBook and audiobook catalogs. During 2012, hundreds of millions of online visitors turned to their libraries' OverDrive-powered eBook catalogs to browse, sample, and gather recommendations for what to read next. These readers generated over 2.7 billion page views at 22,000 libraries and schools across the OverDrive network.

Public libraries lending the most eBooks and other digital titles from OverDrive-powered catalogs in 2012:

1. King County Library System, Wash. (1.3 million checkouts)
2. New York Public Library (1.1 million checkouts)
3. Toronto Public Library (900,000 checkouts)
4. Seattle Public Library (850,000 checkouts)
5. Hennepin County Library, Minn. (750,000 checkouts)

Public libraries recording the the fastest growth for their eBook-lending catalogs in 2012:

1. Moreton Bay Libraries (Australia) (464% growth)
2. Mideastern Michigan Library Cooperative (370%)
3. Western Plains Library System (Okla.) (351%)
4. Up North Michigan Consortium (317%)
5. Northeast Texas Digital Consortium (300%)

OverDrive's 2012 Outreach Program Contest recognized the following partners for raising awareness for eBooks and audiobook collections through effective and creative community outreach campaigns:

• Best Overall Campaign: Mid-Continent Public Library, Mo.
• Best Online Campaign: Marion County Public Library System, W. Va.
• Best Inside the Library Campaign: Sacramento Public Library, Calif.
• Best Outside the Library Campaign: Kent District Library, Mich.
• Best Use of Reading Devices: Lambton County Library (Ontario, Canada)

OverDrive selected Library eBook Leaders based on data available to all partner schools and libraries in Content Reserve, the distributor's collection development portal, with over 1 million premium titles. Lending leaders recognized in this report reflect 2012 "checkout" data for standalone library systems (versus consortia), and growth is based on the rise in lending from 2011 to 2012. OverDrive will present additional data examining book discovery trends in the digital library during Digipalooza '13, the company's international user group conference taking place in Cleveland, August 1-4.

OverDrive is currently rolling out its Next Generation library service platform, which includes completely reimagined library websites featuring One-Step Checkout™, new powerful search engines, and the browser-based eBook technology, OverDrive Read. Additional Next Generation enhancements coming later this year include streaming video technology, and new APIs that enable libraries to fully integrate digital and print catalogs.

Based in Cleveland, OverDrive offers a catalog of more than 1 million eBook, audiobook, music and video titles on a single platform, with support for all major computers and devices, including iPhone®, iPad®, NOOK®, Android™ phones and tablets, and Kindle® (U.S. only). To find a library near you, visit search.overdrive.com. 

About OverDrive
OverDrive is a leading multichannel digital distributor of eBooks, digital audiobooks, music and video. We supply a secure lending platform for 22,000 libraries, schools and retailers worldwide with support for all major computers and devices, including iPhone®, iPad®, Nook®, Android™ phones and tablets, and Kindle® (U.S. only). OverDrive has been named to the EContent 100 as a company that matters most in the digital content industry and is a member of the 2012 Technology Fast 500. Founded in 1986, OverDrive is based in Cleveland. www.overdrive.com