Dear Library Partner,

Building on the great success of our libraries in 2007, OverDrive is proud of all of our accomplishments, and we're ready to keep the momentum going! We will soon be announcing exciting enhancements to your digital library, as well as a new community outreach program.

I invite you to schedule some time with our team to learn more about what's coming. Don't forget to register now for Digipalooza '08!

Are you registered for Digipalooza '08? Space is filling and hotel rooms are booking fast, so sign up now at www.digipalooza.com.

Digipalooza '08, our international user group conference, is July 24-27 in Cleveland, Ohio. The conference will offer educational sessions, interactive panels, and networking activities at the world famous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a Cleveland Indians baseball game vs. the Minnesota Twins, and a party at House of Blues featuring a live concert performance by Donnie Iris and the Cruisers.

Session topics include Managing your "Virtual Branch", Best Practices for collection development, promotion and community outreach, staff training, patron support, reports and statistics, and much more. The conference will also welcome a keynote speaker and a panel featuring representatives from the industry's leading publishers.

The conference fee is $149 and includes all sessions, materials, meals, and special events. Hotel stay and travel are not included. For more information, visit www.digipalooza.com or contact Shannon at Shannon@overdrive.com.

If you are attending PLA in Minneapolis, visit the OverDrive booth (#1135) for exciting announcements about your digital library and a new community outreach program. We will be presenting theatre-style sessions every 30 minutes with MP3 player giveaways.

Partners are also invited to join us for a reception on Wednesday from 6-10 PM. Enjoy cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and a breathtaking view of the city in the Dome Room on the 14th Floor of Millennium Hotel (Nicollet Ave. & 13th Street, walking distance from the Convention Center). To RSVP, please email Renee@overdrive.com.

If you are interested in scheduling a meeting with Team OverDrive to discuss new services, formats, or promotional assistance, please email Shannon@overdrive.com.

New England's largest city is both culturally and technologically diverse. It's no wonder that this historical metropolis houses one of the most preeminent and oldest libraries in the U.S., Boston Public Library.

BPL's digital collection launched in 2005 and continues to see a significant increase in patron activity, circulating thousands of items a month. Originally launching with audio books and music, the opening collection introduced patrons to download media. Once Bostonians were hooked, the library added OverDrive download video, and most recently eBooks at http://overdrive.bpl.org/.

Recently, BPL became the first library to offer locally produced music in OverDrive's Community Reserve, a free service that allows upload and sharing of local content. Patrons can check out and download two albums from a Boston band, The Blind King. The albums "The Silent Wheel" and "Til You're Gone" feature a unique mixture of retro, folk, and indie.

"Community Reserve is giving BPL the ability to recognize our local talent," said Michael Colford, Regional Administrator, Boston Regional Library System. "Our patrons can learn about these new bands and download their music for free using their library card."

BPL is working with other bands who are interested in offering their albums through the digital collection.

"Our hope is that in the coming months, we'll be able to showcase several other bands and make their great music available to our community as well," stated Colford.

Increase digital circulation by automatically monitoring and filling your digital holds using Holds Manager. The new tool in Content Reserve will allow you to set a holds ratio, monthly budget, frequency when holds will be filled, and maximum title limits.

Once you set the plan, Holds Manager does the work for you, reducing the time your staff spends monitoring holds and filling accordingly.

"I really appreciate how Holds Manager enables our library to improve customer service by reducing wait times for items with holds," comments Jim McCluskey, Collection Development Assistant Manager for Sno-Isle Regional Libraries. "And of course I appreciate the time savings it represents as well. Now I can use the extra time to take care of other tasks."

To set your Holds Manager Plan, login to www.contentreserve.com and click on the 'Collection' tab. If you need assistance, email Collection Development Specialist, Karen Potash at Karen@overdrive.com.

Looking for a device that covers all the bases: digital media, Internet, and office tools? The iPAQ hx2495 Windows Mobile-based device can be found here.

Using USB 2.0, transferring of audio, eBook, and video files is fast and easy from your PC to the device. Stay connected to the office with the ability to view and edit Microsoft Office documents, including Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations.

The device has rubber sides for slip-free grip and comes with a plastic flip to protect the display screen from scratches.

The Pocket PC may not be cheap ($399 MSRP), but offers many user friendly features, the ability to take media on the go, and comes with a one-year limited warranty. More on the HP iPAQ hx2495 Pocket PC

Register for Digipalooza!

PLA Theatre Schedule

Many of the books that I read come as recommendations from friends and family back home that turn me on to titles that are popular in Europe. Many of these titles subsequently become bestsellers in the US. The murder mysteries by Henning Mankell are a good example of this. Mankell is a Swedish author who divides his time between Sweden and Mozambique. The protagonist of his novels is Police Inspector Kurt Wallander who often investigates crimes that take him outside the ordinary. I enjoy books with cross cultural themes because one of my passions is travel.

I have read most of Mankell's mystery novels featuring Inspector Wallander. What interests me in Mankell's approach are the intercultural aspects of his stories. Many of the stories take place overseas. "The Dogs of Riga" is set in the former Soviet Republic of Latvia. Wallander is sent from Sweden to Riga, Latvia to solve a crime during the tumultuous time of Latvia's transition to nationhood. I was particularly intrigued by the setting as my family visited Riga last summer and I was able to recognize city locations and the tone of life in this Baltic Republic. Mankell uses his deep understanding of people and the times as an effective backdrop to this tale. Mankell lets the reader appreciate the foreign lifestyle described in the book while offering an intriguing mystery story. The outcome is never predictable, but always believable. The discovery of the motive is as important as the "who did it" aspect.

I enjoyed listening to this relatable coming of age story about difficulties with the turning points in our lives. Colin Singleton was a genius at a young age, but as time went on, he "leveled off" and everyone else seemed to catch up. This made him, in his opinion, just another bright student destined for mediocrity.

Our neurotic hero, who was meant for great things, is now about to go off to college with only two accomplishments. First, being the winner on a game show for children during the height of his, now gone, prodigy years. Secondly, he has dated and been dumped by nineteen different girls, all named Katherine.

As a last act of rebellion before college, Colin and his Judge Judy loving best friend, Hassan, go on a road trip to seek adventure. We connect with Colin throughout this book and join him as he labors to explain his relationships and fights his descent into mediocrity.

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