FAQ

OverDrive provides free real-time, custom reports permitting library personnel to track usage of the collection.

OverDrive provides free support services to ensure that your staff is well acquainted with your digital library. We provide staff training via web conferencing in a number of topic areas, including collection development assistance and promotional/marketing support. Simply call your Account Specialist for more information.

OverDrive offers more than 1,000,000 digital titles for patrons of all ages. This catalog covers virtually all genres and includes many of the top bestsellers. We are constantly adding new titles

OverDrive allows your library to create its own custom digital collection. Your team will be able to browse OverDrive’s extensive catalog of eBooks, audiobooks, music, and video and select titles based on your library’s collection development goals. Patrons will also have the opportunity to “recommend to library” the titles they would like to read that the library has not yet purchased. Ability to recommend titles varies by geographical location.

Most OverDrive titles are circulated based on a one-copy/one-user lending model similar to the way physical books are loaned from your library. If your custom digital collection contains one copy of a specific title, then only one patron can check out that specific title at a time; if it contains more than one copy, then that number of patrons can check out that title (same as physical). We also offer a model called Maximum Access, which allows titles from some publishers to be offered for unlimited simultaneous use.

Only titles purchased from OverDrive are licensed to be included in your OverDrive collection. You may upload proprietary content (e.g., lesson plans, podcasts, audio or video recordings, etc.) to your collection.

You must subscribe to an OverDrive-powered service to provide OverDrive’s titles.

You can browse OverDrive’s catalog at http://search.overdrive.com

We provide a variety of MARC record and metadata options through our collection development portal, Content Reserve. Minimal MARC records are free for many titles. For complete metadata pricing, please check the MARC tab in your Content Reserve account.

OverDrive sends out a weekly email newsletter called ContentWire to update our library partners on new titles that are available in our catalog.

An eBook is the digital version of a printed book (text on a screen) and an audiobook is the spoken word digital recording of a book.

Your library will determine the number of titles a patron can check out at a time.

At the end of the lending period, titles will automatically ‘expire’ and return to the collection. OverDrive’s eBooks and MP3 audiobooks can be returned early. WMA audiobooks remain assigned to a patron’s account until the end of the lending period.

Titles cannot be renewed, but the patron can check them out again if they are available.

The lending period is determined by your library and can be for a period of 7, 14, or 21 days. Your library can select multiple lending period for titles in your digital lending library.

If all copies of a title are checked out of your digital collection, other patrons may place a hold on this title. The number of titles that a patron may place holds on is determined by your library.

To place a hold, your patron can select the ‘place a hold’ link and enter his or her library card. When the title becomes available for checkout, the patron will receive an email with instructions. The item will be held for a number of days, determined by your library, after the patron receives email notice that the title is available. If he or she does not check out the item during that period of time, the patron will forfeit his or her turn and the next patron in line will be notified, or it will be returned to the digital collection.

To use OverDrive’s titles, your patrons will need to install two free software applications on their computers; the OverDrive Media Console (for audiobooks, music and video) and Adobe Digital Editions (for eBooks). For Android phones and tablets, iPhone and iPad, BlackBerry, and Windows Phones, just OverDrive Media Console (audiobooks and eBooks).

All eBook titles allow patrons to place bookmarks and make notes. Printing and copy/paste are permissions that are set by the publisher and varies by title. Many titles (especially study aids) do have the ability to print pages and copy/paste text.

Patrons can read eBooks on a variety of devices, including PC and Mac® computers, the Apple iPhone®, iPad®, and iPod® touch, Android™, and many eBook readers such as Sony® Reader, Barnes & Noble NOOK™, Kobo eReader, and Amazon® Kindle® (US schools and libraries only). To view a full list of compatible devices, visit our Device Resource Center.

Yes. Nearly all OverDrive audiobooks can be transferred to an iPod/iPhone/iPad. eBooks in the EPUB format can be downloaded directly to iPhone and iPad (as well as Android phones and tablets, BlackBerry, and Windows Phones).

Yes. OverDrive has created apps to use eBooks and audiobooks on Android™, Blackberry®, iPhone®, iPad™ and Windows® Phone.

Yes. About 50 percent of our audiobook titles can be burned to a CD.

OverDrive can send authentication requests to your existing integrated library system database via SIP2, RPA, XML, EZProxy, or similar protocol (additional costs may apply). If none of these options are suitable, we can also authenticate your patrons with an OverDrive-developed tool called Library Card Manager.

Library Card Manager is an OverDrive-powered authentication system that allows your library to upload a list of library card or student ID numbers. Library Card Manager is included free with the digital library.