Dear Library Partner,

Sincerely,
Shannon Mangan
Partner Services

October is OverDrive's Digital Library Staff Training Month. Our training team is offering an informative, FREE, and fun program that will increase staff knowledge about your digital collection and help maximize circulation.

Digital Library Staff Training Month includes open enrollment every Wednesday and Thursday. The program is for all staff, especially those who work with the public, collection development, and technical support. Staff may attend any or all courses, including "Using Your OverDrive Digital Library 101," "Best Practices to Increase Download Circulation," "Collection Update: What's New in the OverDrive Digital Catalog," and "Real-Time Reports: Patron Statistics and Download Trends."

As an incentive, we are offering the following Staff Participation Awards:

We will award prizes to Library Partners with the most staff participation. We have created four categories based on library size: Small, Mid-size, Large, and Consortia. One winner in each category will be selected based on number of courses attended and percentage of staff participating. The winner in each group will receive:

1) A collection credit

. Small: $1,000
. Mid-size: $1,250
. Large: $1,500
. Consortia: $1,500

2) A case of MP3 players
3) A sponsored ad in your local newspaper (up to $250 value)

In the event of a tie, OverDrive reserves the right to split the award.

Open training courses will be offered every Wednesday and Thursday at 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM Eastern during October. The courses will be conducted online by one of our expert trainers using ReadyTalk, a web conferencing service with a toll-free dial-in number.

Plan now! Click here to see dates and register online.

Mark your calendar for Digipalooza '08 in Cleveland, Ohio, July 24 - 27, 2008.

More than 250 librarians in 2006 gave the first conference superb reviews, and Digipalooza '08 promises to build on the success of the event with even more excitement.

"This is definitely the best, most useful conference I have ever attended. I will definitely come back if you have another," said a 2006 attendee.

The conference will include two and a half days of informative sessions and interactive panels with fellow librarians, Team OverDrive, publishers, and industry experts. There will also be an exhibit hall and special events.

A small conference fee, to be determined, will include all conference sessions, meals, and special events. Hotel and travel are not included. Registration will open later this year, so look for more information to follow.

To see video highlights from Digipalooza 2006 and learn more about the conference, visit www.digipalooza.com.

Bookmarks, flyers, "cord men", T-shirts, and a press release. This unique combination lead the download audiobook marketing campaign for Delaware County Library System (PA).

In mid-June, DCLS sponsored the 2007 Senior Games Fun Walk/Run. The "Download Audiobooks" logo, created by staff, was on the back of the T-shirts that were distributed to runners and walkers. The event attracted local media attention, and pictures of the participants in their T-shirts appeared on the news and in local publications. Daily checkouts more than doubled in the days following.

In addition to distributing bookmarks and flyers, DCLS also gives "cord men" to patrons visiting the library. These creative giveaways are ear bud holders, and promote MP3 players and download audiobooks. In celebration of National Library Card Sign-up Month, DCLS will also raffle off MP3 players in all branches.

"This service has been so popular, we've gotten requests from patrons almost seven hours away to be a DCLS cardholder," said David Belanger, Director.

The key to Delaware's continued success is their efforts to reach everyone. Staff extended awareness to patrons visiting the library through handouts and giveaways, and to those who use the library online by a prominent link on their homepage, http://www.delcolibraries.org/. For surrounding communities and the media, a press release was issued within a week of the download audiobooks launch, and DCLS was represented at local events promoting the new service with T-shirts and by word of mouth.

Delaware County Library System submitted their Download Audiobooks campaign to the Pennsylvania Citizens for Better Libraries (PCBL) annual Public Relations Award. The Pennsylvania Library Association will host the awards ceremony in October where the winner will be announced.

Let OverDrive know how we can participate or assist in your promotional campaign for your digital library. Contact Shannon of the Partner Services Team at smangan@overdrive.com.

Download Standing Order Plans are now available from OverDrive for you to keep your digital collection up to the minute with bestselling titles.

Download Standing Order Plans are convenient and customizable, allowing you to select as many or as few titles as you wish from the publishers of your choice to fit your needs and budget. Titles are automatically added each month and ready for checkout the minute they become available. You'll save time because you don't have to research new titles each month. Titles will also appear on your website before they are released, so patrons can begin building holds on those titles even before the on sale date.

Participating publishers include Books on Tape (Random House) and Listening Library (Random House) with more being added in the coming weeks.

Download Standing Order Plans will create anticipation for upcoming titles and increase awareness of your current collection to maximize circulation. To sign up for a plan, log in to Content Reserve, www.contentreserve.com.

With dozens of portable devices on the market, patrons may feel overwhelmed with the amount of choices and features. Coby Electronics Corporation offers inexpensive MP3 players that are excellent choices for users who are curious about portable devices but don't want to break the bank finding the right one.

The Coby MPC7055 is an audio player which supports MP3 and WMA formats with a 1.66" LCD full color screen, controlled by a touchpad interface. Other features include song lyric display, photo management, and an integrated FM radio with digital voice recording. The USB 2.0 tool makes transferring files simple and quick.

Although the MPC7055 does offer video playback, the device does not currently support OverDrive Video (WMV) content.

The current list price is $49.99 (MSRP) for 512 MB. To learn more about this device, click here.

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I came upon "The Friday Night Knitting Club" while training one of our library partners. I had never heard of the book or the author, but the subject and description caught my attention. As soon as I finished the training, I burned the title to CD and started listening as I drove home that evening.

Georgia Walker is the protagonist of Kate Jacobs' debut novel. Walker & Daughter is Georgia's little yarn shop in New York City, which develops a loyal following of knitting groupies. These regulars become the foundation of a makeshift Friday Night Knitting Club. The novel tells the story of Georgia and her daughter Dakota, as well as taking time to focus on the other members of the knitting club. With the club as their common bond, the stories of these characters unexpectedly intertwine and reveal even more about the bond they have created. Through hardship and unexpected tragedy, this group transforms from an informal club to a very necessary support system.

For the few weeks I listened to this audio book, I actually enjoyed my drive to work. Kate Jacobs develops a main character that every reader wants to succeed, as well as a host of supporting characters whose own stories emphasize the value of friendship. Though I'm not aware of plans for a sophomore novel from Kate Jacobs, I'm certainly hoping she has plans for one.

I enjoy Nora Ephron's movies, including "When Harry Met Sally" and "Sleepless in Seattle," so I was eager to listen to "I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being A Woman." It did not disappoint me. Hearing Ephron narrate the title was like sitting down with a group of friends of a certain age over a glass of wine and talking about how we have changed, but appreciating where we currently are in our lives.

Would you like to add these titles to your collection? Visit Content Reserve or contact Karen Potash, Collection Development Specialist, kpotash@overdrive.com.