(Dallas, Texas) - January 19, 2012 - American Library Association
Midwinter Conference – OverDrive, the leading
global distributor of eBooks and audiobooks, will release 2011 year-end
statistics from its global network of 18,000 libraries and schools in 21
countries at the American Library Association Midwinter Conference in Dallas,
January 20-23 (Booth 845). Due to the rapid expansion of device
compatibility and consumer awareness, eBook discovery and online reader visits
at libraries and schools worldwide experienced triple digit growth in 2011:
OverDrive library website traffic more than doubled to 1.6 billion page views
and visitor sessions also doubled to nearly 100 million. At the
conference, OverDrive will share statistics and user profile data as well as
demonstrate new digital book discovery services to help libraries meet the exploding
demand.
Key statistics for library
eBooks, audiobooks and digital media from OverDrive-powered 'Virtual Branch'
websites in 2011 include:
- 1.6 billion book and title catalog pages
viewed, up 130% from 2010
- 99.5 million visitor sessions, up 107%
- Mobile device use increased to 22% of all
checkouts
- 35 million digital titles checked out in
2011, with 17 million holds
- The OverDrive catalog for libraries now
includes 700,000 copyrighted eBook, audiobook, music, and video titles in 52
languages, including 300,000 titles added in 2011
- In 2011 OverDrive Media Console (free eBook
and audiobook apps) was installed by 5 million users (up 84%) bringing the
total install base to 11 million
- Readers used OverDrive eBooks on all desktop
and major smartphone and e-reading platforms including Android, iPhone®, iPod
touch®, iPad®, Windows® Phone and BlackBerry®, as well as Kindle®, NOOK™, Sony®
Reader and others.
At the ALA Midwinter
Conference OverDrive will demonstrate new digital book discovery services to
help libraries meet eBook demand. These include a new OverDrive "All
Digital" catalog feed that will provide library visitors immediate access to
browse and sample entire publisher and author eBook and audiobook backlist and
long tail collections regardless of whether the library has acquired units for
lending. For participating libraries, the service also features
patron-driven acquisition options and "Buy it Now" links connecting readers
with booksellers, which in turn pay the referring library affiliate fees for
all referrals that result in a sale.
During 2011, the Digital
Bookmobile (www.digitalbookmobile.com), a
high-tech 18-wheeler traveling North America on behalf of public libraries to
raise awareness about digital reading, visited nearly 100 libraries and
schools. Since the tour launched in 2008, the Digital Bookmobile has held
400 events and trained more than 87,500 users on digital downloads from the
library. The Digital Bookmobile national tour will be on the road again this
year, starting in the Los Angeles area in early February.
OverDrive provides digital
distribution services for more than 18,000 libraries, schools and booksellers
worldwide with support for Windows®, Mac®, iPod®, iPhone, iPad, Sony® Reader,
NOOK™, Android™, BlackBerry® and Kindle®. To find a participating
library, visit http://search.overdrive.com.
About OverDrive
OverDrive is a leading multichannel 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
Contact:
David
Burleigh
OverDrive, Inc.
216-573-6886 x218
dburleigh@OverDrive.com
###
