Community Reserve FAQs
What is OverDrive Community Reserve?
OverDrive Community Reserve is a Library2Library digital resource sharing service. OverDrive partner libraries can make their local content (audiobooks, eBooks, music, and video) available to patrons for checkout via the Internet. Libraries can also choose to share the local content with OverDrive's network of more 5,000 libraries. OverDrive's Community Reserve collection is unique as it is locally generated and completely free. The collection grows as OverDrive customers contribute their local content. Any OverDrive customer library can add Community Reserve content contributed by other OverDrive customer libraries at no cost.
How does Community Reserve work?
Here is an example of how it works. Rochester Public Library (MN) has uploaded into the Local Content section of Content Reserve, the repository for all digital content for libraries, four locally-produced videos. The video titles are available for check out and download by patrons of the Rochester Public Library. Rochester Public Library has agreed that these same titles can be placed in the OverDrive "Community Reserve" and thus be freely available for every OverDrive library to add to their own download collection (again, at no cost). Now every OverDrive library can select these download videos from Community Reserve and add them to their own collection to circulate alongside other video materials. Cleveland Public Library, San Jose Public Library, and others have added locally-produced eBooks in PDF to Community Reserve that can also be added to your catalog.
Each Community Reserve title download will be tracked as a circulating item and these download materials (in audiobook, eBook, music, or video format) operate exactly the same as your library purchases from OverDrive's commercial publishers and suppliers.
What formats are available in Community Reserve?
Community Reserve can support all formats that are available in Content Reserve and therefore is compatible with libraries' digital collections. This includes eBooks (Adobe .pdf, Mobipocket .prc), videos (Windows Media Video .wmv), audiobooks, and music (Windows Media Audio .wma).
Who can contribute to Community Reserve?
Every OverDrive partner library can contribute content to Community Reserve. Beyond adding content they already own, we suggest libraries solicit their community for appropriate content to add to Community Reserve. This gives local people and institutions (e.g. hospitals, museums, universities, etc.) a chance to be more involved with the library. However, only librarians with administrative permissions to "Local Collection" and "Manage Collection" within Content Reserve may upload content to Community Reserve.
How many titles are in the Community Reserve Collection?
At launch as of June 2007, OverDrive Community Reserve had more than 100 titles. As more libraries choose to share local content, we hope to see Community Reserve grow from a collection of hundreds of titles to a collection of thousands of titles.
How much does it cost to add Community Reserve titles to my collection?
OverDrive library partners can add Community Reserve titles to their collection at no cost.
Who determines what content is added to Community Reserve?
Librarians determine the content to be added to Community Reserve. We give the power to librarians who are trained to make qualified decisions about appropriate content. OverDrive will make every effort to include only appropriate materials, but individual libraries serve as the main gatekeepers.
How can my library contribute to Community Reserve?
To find out how to contribute to Community Reserve, libraries can contact their OverDrive Project Manager. Patrons should contact their library.
Who else is participating in Community Reserve?
Libraries that have already contributed include Rochester (MN), Cleveland, and San Jose Public Libraries. Free Library of Philadelphia is preparing author presentations on video and Boston Public Library is collecting music from local bands for submission to Community Reserve.
Is there a limit in bandwidth and storage?
Each library is allowed 10 GB worth of storage. Once that limit is reached, there is an additional charge for the next 10 GB. Bandwidth is limited to up to 500 GB per 12 months. There is a charge for the next 1 TB.
How does Community Reserve benefit my library?
You can use Community Reserve to increase your collection and circulation at no added cost to your library. Community Reserve is a great tool to get your local community involved and to address specific topics that are important to your area.
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