Libraries Provide Direct eBook Downloads on iPhone & Android

Libraries Provide Direct eBook Downloads on iPhone & Android

Apps enable users to find a local library and download digital books over the air



Cleveland, OH, Jan. 4, 2011 – OverDrive (www.overdrive.com), the leading global distributor of eBooks, audiobooks, and digital content to libraries and schools, has released apps for iPhone® and Android™ that enable users to download library eBooks and audiobooks directly to their devices for the first time. The free apps include a “Get Books” feature that guides users to their local library’s digital catalog of best-selling and new release titles, allowing them to easily browse, check out, and download with just their device. More than 13,000 public libraries, schools, colleges, and universities now offer eBook and audiobook downloads via OverDrive, including institutions in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and nine other countries.



To download the free OverDrive Media Console app for iPhone and iPod touch®, users can visit the Apple® AppStore™. Owners of Android tablets and phones, including Droid™ X by Motorola, Samsung GALAXY Tab™, Cruz™ Tablet, and HTC EVO™ 4G, can find the app in the Android Market. To see if your public library is a member of the OverDrive network, visit http://search.overdrive.com.



“North Carolina Digital Library has offered eBook downloads since 2005, and in the past year we’ve seen a tremendous increase in checkouts,” said Ruth Ann Copley, director of the Davidson County Public Library in North Carolina (http://ncdigital.lib.overdrive.com). “With the iPhone and Android apps, we’re able to provide users with more options for accessing eBooks, as well as audiobooks, from our ‘Virtual Branch.’”



“Libraries have been an excellent source for eBooks and digital audiobooks for PC, Mac, and eBook readers, and now these apps enable users to download digital books directly to their iPhone, iPod touch, or Android device,” said David Burleigh, director of marketing for OverDrive. “In 2011, users will continue to see new features added to the existing apps, and access will expand to other devices, including an optimized app for iPad™.”



OverDrive’s apps for iPhone and Android give users wireless access to their library’s EPUB eBook and MP3 audiobook catalog without a PC. With the apps, users can create bookmarks and resume from the last point read. The eBook and audiobook titles from the public library automatically expire in the app, so there is never a late fee. To learn more about OverDrive’s digital distribution services for libraries, visit OverDrive at the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Conference in San Diego at booth #1017, Jan. 7-10, 2011.



In addition, OverDrive supplies 500,000 premium digital titles to custom ecommerce marketplaces for retailers and OEMs worldwide. To find out more about OverDrive’s distribution network and support for custom eBook apps and marketplaces, visit OverDrive at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas at booth #13247 in the Central Hall, Jan. 6-9, 2011.



OverDrive provides digital distribution services for more than 13,000 libraries, retailers, and schools worldwide with support for Windows®, Mac®, iPod®, iPhone, iPad, Sony® Reader, NOOK™, Android, and BlackBerry®.



About OverDrive
OverDrive is a leading full-service digital distributor of eBooks, audiobooks, music, and video. We deliver secure management, DRM protection, and download fulfillment services for hundreds of publishers and thousands of libraries, schools, and retailers, serving millions of end users. OverDrive has been named to the EContent 100 as a company that matters most in the digital content industry. Founded in 1986, OverDrive is based in Cleveland, OH. www.overdrive.com