CLEVELAND – September 16, 2015 – International Read an eBook Day, an annual celebration to raise awareness for digital reading, is coming on Friday, September 18. As with most other aspects of our lives, the ways in which we read books have undergone radical changes in the past few years. International Read an eBook Day honors this digital shift in partnership with libraries across the world.

International Read an eBook Day is a celebration of modern storytelling. Readers around the globe are encouraged to take part by sharing what they are reading and how they are celebrating on a variety of social media channels. Readers can use the hashtag #eBookLove on Facebook and Twitter to tell their story and share their love of eBooks, or comment directly at www.readanebookday.com.

Public libraries are helping to celebrate International Read an eBook Day. Traditionally, libraries have served communities with reading materials of all kinds, and today, it is one of the most significant places to discover and read eBooks and other digital content. Public library customers have borrowed 109 million eBooks and audiobooks in 2015 (through August 31), a 23 percent increase over the same period in 2014.

“Cleveland Public Library was the first library in the country to add eBooks to its collection,” said Cleveland Public Library Executive Director and Public Library Association President-elect Felton Thomas, Jr. “We see the popularity of eBooks continue to increase as our patrons shift to reading on a variety of mobile devices.”

International Read an eBook Day occurs during Library Card Sign-up Month, a time when the American Library Association and public libraries nationwide encourage every student to get the most important school supply of all – a free library card.  Adults, of course, are encouraged as well. To sign up for a library card, visit your local library and begin borrowing popular digital titles immediately. To find your local library, visit www.overdrive.com.

eBooks are portable. You can carry a whole library of hundreds of books with you on an eReader, tablet, smartphone or laptop computer. In addition to the space saving benefits, you can customize your eBook reading experience by adjusting the font, colors and alignment.  In fact, every eBook can be a large print book, especially convenient for visually challenged readers.

To participate in International Read an eBook Day or learn how to get started, visit www.readanebookday.com.

 

About OverDrive
OverDrive is the leading digital distribution platform, supplying the industry’s largest catalog of eBooks, audiobooks, periodicals and streaming video to 34,000 libraries, schools and retailers worldwide. We support all major computers and devices, including iOS®, Android™, Chromebook™, and Kindle® (U.S. only). www.overdrive.com

Contact:

David Burleigh

Director of Marketing & Communications

dburleigh@overdrive.com

216-573-6886 ext. 218

 

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