OverDrive, the Global Leader in Library downloads, will continue its leadership in 2009 by bringing you the latest innovations to better serve your patrons, at no additional cost. We have been briefing many of our library partners on the enhancements you can expect from us this year, including:

New Services for Mobile Devices
Optimized browsing on-the-go

A mobile version of your download website will allow users on-the-go access to browse and check out OverDrive media from web-enabled phones and PDAs. OverDrive servers will detect if a patron is visiting your website from a mobile device and seamlessly provide an optimized web browsing experience. Try browsing now from your Blackberry, iPhone®, or other device at http://ebooks.nypl.org (pictured right).

EPUB eBooks will soon be available to purchase for your download collection. The emerging industry standard for eBooks, EPUB offers an enhanced reading experience on PCs, Macs, and portable devices like the Sony® Reader. Many leading publishers are now providing their frontlist titles in the EPUB format, exclusively.

Later this year, we will introduce OverDrive Media Console v4, which we hope will more than exceed your expectations. Coupling familiar functionality with an enhanced, fresh look and navigation, the next generation of OverDrive Media Console is definitely something to look forward to.

If you're interested in scheduling a teleconference for your library to discuss these new services and how your library can benefit, please contact your Partner Services Associate or partnerservices@overdrive.com.

Dayton, Ohio is among hundreds of U.S. cities affected by the economic crisis. Their unemployment rate is over 11.2 percent, leaving thousands without a job. The Dayton Metro Library recently launched the campaign 'Reinvent Yourself' which offers hands on training and resources to library patrons who are job searching or exploring other career opportunities.

Among the practice tests, computer courses, and resume writing assistance, Dayton Metro Library is highlighting their career, business, self-help, and computer download audiobooks, eBooks, and video as a helpful resource in this campaign. With nearly 250 relevant titles in their download collection, more than a third of the books are already checked out, with holds building. A few of the titles in the special collection include "A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future" by Daniel H. Pink, "Get Organized the Clear and Simple Way: Reclaim Your Home, Your Office, Your Life" by Marla Dee, "Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions" by Dan Ariely, and "Job Interviews For Dummies" by Joyce Lain Kennedy.

Dayton promoted this service on its website, as well as their OverDrive-hosted download website. Their team worked with OverDrive to create a customized collection of appropriate titles for the 'Reinvent Yourself' campaign, and added a link to the title selection on their download website.

"This was a wonderful opportunity to use downloadables to meet a serious need in our community," said Jean Gaffney, Collection Development and Acquisitions Manager at the Dayton Metro Library. "The library is offering many kinds of job development support to the unemployed and this is one facet that will appeal to our virtual users."

This is a perfect example of how your library can incorporate download media into other library services and programs year-round. We can create customized lists of titles, specific to your event or program and help you promote these specialized collections on your download website. If you are hosting an event or program that we can help with, please contact partnerservices@overdrive.com.

Emerging as the new industry standard, EPUB will be the preferred format for eBooks. EPUB eBooks are currently available at Cleveland Public Library (http://emedia.clevnet.org).

Patrons will appreciate the enhanced features of EPUB, such as reflowable text and interactive graphics. Similar to Adobe PDF eBooks, which many of your patrons are currently using, EPUB eBooks are designed for use on a PC or Mac, can be checked out with a library card, and downloaded and enjoyed through the free Adobe® Digital Editions reader software.

EPUB provides optimal viewing enhancements to fit on any size screen, and is compatible with the Sony Reader PRS- 505 (with proper firmware installed) and PRS-700. We expect EPUB will be supported on PDAs, the iPhoneT, and other devices in the future. EPUB provides the best value for your budget, with costs similar to PDF, and more options for your readers.

Your library can soon select from thousands of EPUB titles by best-selling authors, including James Patterson, Stephenie Meyer, David Sedaris, Janet Evanovich, Elmore Leonard, Lisa Kleypas, and more. A growing list of leading publishers such as Random House (US and UK), Hachette Book Group USA, Harlequin, and HarperCollins (US and UK) are partnering with OverDrive to offer the new format.

"eBooks are growing in popularity with readers and with EPUB's adoption by publishers, as well as its compatibility with the Sony Reader, we are confident EPUB will be a great addition to a library's Virtual Branch," said Karen Potash, Lead Collection Development Specialist for OverDrive. "EPUB will allow libraries to reach more patrons in the growing mobile community."

For more on EPUB eBooks and information on how to add this format to your collection, please check Content Reserve Critical Alerts and upcoming issues of ContentWire (to sign up, click here).

Weighing in at only 10 ounces, it's surprising that the Sony Reader PRS-700 allows users to carry hundreds of your OverDrive eBooks. The PRS-700 offers many new features for avid readers to enjoy Adobe PDF and EPUB eBooks, as well as OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks, on the go.

As with other eBook devices, the new Sony Reader uses the paper-like, E- Ink technology for a reading experience similar to print books. The screen reflects light like the printed page, so it's easier on the eyes than a computer monitor or cell phone. The most notable difference between previous models and the PRS-700 is touch screen capability. Simply brush a finger over the 6 inch screen and the pages turn seamlessly.

The interface is easy to learn and offers low vision readers multiple font sizes, as well as a built in LED light. Another bonus is long battery life which boasts the ability for 7,500 page turns.

Other features include search function, annotation, highlighting, and the option to create and edit notes.

Priced at $399, the Sony Reader PRS-700 is comparable to similar devices available on the market. For more information and other device specifications, click here.

Based on library feedback, the OverDrive Digital Media Guided Tour has been updated with new information and a fresh look. The tutorial is a helpful resource for staff and patrons who want to learn how to browse, check out, and download audiobooks, eBooks, music, and video from your 'Virtual Branch'.

Check out the new Guided Tour today!

The Digital Bookmobile kicked off the 2009 national tour at the Colleyville Public Library (TX) in January. After heading west through New Mexico and Arizona, the Digital Bookmobile has been making its way through southern and central California, celebrating the 60th event at the Downey City Library.

At many of these events, we achieved both key objectives for the day: high traffic through the exhibit and media coverage to promote to the community. Thousands of library patrons have visited the Digital Bookmobile and the events have received excellent media coverage. A few examples include the Black Gold Cooperative Library System (CA), who received spotlight in the Santa Maria Times, as well as KSBY NBC Channel 6. The Pasadena Public Library was also featured in their local newspaper, the Pasadena Now .

Orange County Public Library (CA) hosted a two-day event (pictured right). More than 150 residents from surrounding suburbs engaged with library staff on the download service. The event also had media coverage in their local paper.

Fifth-graders from a local middle school took over the Video Lounge and Gadget Gallery in the Digital Bookmobile during the event at the Palm Springs Public Library (CA). The fifth grade class enjoyed the download video 'Paper Clips' and visitors even had the chance to win their own MP3 player to download and listen to books.

The Digital Bookmobile National Tour continues this weekend with the Pima County Public Library (AZ) at the Tucson Festival of Books, as well as scheduled stops with the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District (NV) , San Jose Public Library (CA), and many more.

To follow the tour and view photos and video from past events, visit www.digitalbookmobile.com.

Is your library using Content Reserve Marketplace to purchase your OverDrive download media? If not, you're missing out on easy-to-use ordering tools, suggested lists of best-selling audiobooks and eBooks, and much more.

Marketplace is OverDrive's online shopping portal that offers the ease and speed of an online bookstore. With more than 150,000 titles to select from, Marketplace allows you to view featured lists, publishers, and subjects. Purchasing is as simple as browsing for books, music, or video, adding desired titles to your cart, and completing your order.

If you'd like to learn more about how Marketplace can work for you and simplify your download ordering process, please watch the tutorial from an OverDrive trainer.

Collection Checklist: 10 Steps to a Successful Download Collection

If you have any questions, please contact our Collection Development Team at collectionteam@overdrive.com.

To view more upcoming events, click here.

What Toni Morrison's A Mercy lacks in length it more than makes up for in substance. That may come as no surprise to an avid Morrison reader. But for me, a Morrison novice, this six and half hour audiobook was a quick yet affecting entry into the Nobel Prize-winning author's body of work.

The novel follows the residents of Jacob Vaark's rural farm in the 1690s. We get glimpses at the lives of women and enslaved people who are not in control of their own destiny. The central story, however, is that of Florens, an African girl whose mother gave her over to Vaark to save the girl from the same abuse that the enslaved mother faced. Though Vaark is a laissez-faire slave owner, Florens' chance at something resembling a free life is abandoned when she becomes obsessed with a blacksmith who works on Vaark's extravagant home.

The other women share similar stories of a destiny defined by men. Vaark's young wife was purchased from a family in England, abandoning her fanatically religious parents for a new life in a new world. Lina, a Native woman, works the Vaark farm after her own encounters with abuse and love. But the women and other servants are only in control as much Vaark allows. When Vaark dies of smallpox, their futures are uncertain and the tragedies of their lives become impossible to ignore.

A Mercy takes readers on a haunting journey into the tragic moments of early American colonization. But Morrison's ability to develop the voice of each character and to clearly realize her themes of feminism, racism, and religion, make A Mercy a must read for fans of literature, historical fiction, and great writers, in general.

Please note: Content featured in Digital Dispatch may vary by geographical location.

I received The Smart One and The Pretty One by Claire LaZebnik as a gift from my sister on my last birthday. This was a perfect read for my upcoming trip to Miami, where I wanted to take along an entertaining read for my relaxing trip on the beach.

I am a huge fan for typical chick- lit novels, like those that give fresh insight on the latest fashion and relationship advice or those that tell stories about cosmopolitan women facing everyday troubles while juggling a career. The Smart One and The Pretty One is a witty tale of two sisters, Ave and Lauren Nickerson. They are both in their twenties, undergoing the common issues that women of this age face every day: relationship and wardrobe troubles, as they figure out who they really are. A family emergency brings them both together to their home town of Los Angeles, and LaZebnik tells a fun-filled story of the two sisters who realize that they can offer credible advice to each other, learning that both are truly smart and pretty.

I recommend this novel to anyone looking for an amusing, witty and light read. Despite the common chick-lit characters and themes, LaZebnik combines the commonality with unexpected twists and turns, capturing the quintessence of a relationship between sisters. The surprising spin at the end of the story gives the reader a desire to read more of LaZebnik's chick-lit titles, in hopes for a sequel to this novel.

Please note: Content featured in Digital Dispatch may vary by geographical location.

OverDrive will provide a list of the Most Downloaded Audiobooks and eBooks each month, based on the number of checkouts and patron requests from all OverDrive-powered download websites.

To view a list of Most Downloaded Audiobooks and eBooks from February, please click here.