Community Reserve enables sharing of locally produced digital video, audio books, eBooks and music

 

CLEVELAND, OH – June 5, 2007 – A new Web 2.0 program that allows public libraries to publish and share for free digital video, audio books, eBooks and music with other libraries was unveiled today. The first of its kind, OverDrive Community Reserve, is a shared collection of locally-produced digital content available to thousands of libraries worldwide who are part of the OverDrive network.   The new digital resource sharing service will be demonstrated at the OverDrive theatre in Booth #617 at the American Library Association Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. from June 23 – June 26, 2007.

Libraries with permission to digital book, audio or video content can upload titles for download lending to their local patrons, and now can also share the materials with library users worldwide. For example, the Rochester (MN) Public Library received a grant to produce a video to orient and educate Somali immigrants to the features and services of a public library. Now the video has been added to Community Reserve and is available for download as part of their local OverDrive catalog, and is also available for free for lending by more than 5,000 libraries around the world.

“Adding digital media from OverDrive’s Community Reserve to our collection was fast and easy, and we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to offer more quality download titles for free,” said Cynthia Orr, Collection Development Manager for Cleveland Public Library.  To see how the Cleveland Public Library is offering these titles please visit: http://dlc.clevnet.org/Community.

“Community Reserve is a great way to get our local institutions and the public involved with the library,” said Kim Edson, Head of Readers Services at Rochester Public Library. “In addition to the Somali library video, we sponsored a local youth film contest and posted the top three student films on Community Reserve,” she added.  These student videos are now available for download by Rochester Public Library patrons at: http://digital.rochesterpubliclibrary.org/Community.

Digital Media titles available now in the Community Reserve catalog include:

Videos:

  • 106 “Expanded Books” videos featuring author interviews and commentary on award-winning titles including “Phantom” by Terry Goodkind, “The Planets” by Dava Sobel and “You: The Owner’s Manual” by Mehmet Oz and Michael F. Roizen.
  • “Ku soo dhawoow maktabadaada,” submitted by Rochester Public Library. Introduces Somali immigrants to the library.
  • “Student Voices: Teen Suicide,” submitted by Denver Public Library. Produced by MetroBeat TV, a cooperative presentation of Comcast and the Denver Metro area Channel 8 stations which examines the serious and disturbing issue of teen suicides.

eBooks:

  • “Clyde Arbuckle’s History of San Jose,” submitted by San Jose Public Library.
  • “Federal Art in Cleveland 1933-1943,” submitted by Cleveland Public Library.
  • “Greetings from Tucson: A Postcard History of the Old Pueblo,” submitted by Pima County Public Library (AZ).

OverDrive is working with metropolitan libraries to upload eBooks, music, and video including author programs, self-help materials, and music from local bands to be added to Community Reserve.  OverDrive, through its web-based Digital Library Reserve platform, offers more than 100,000 download popular digital audio books, eBooks, music, video and (coming soon) games & interactive software titles. To see if your library is a member of OverDrive’s network, and to find titles of audio books, eBooks, music, and videos available from public libraries, go to www.overdrive.com/search.

 

About OverDrive, Inc.

OverDrive is a leader in providing world-class infrastructure for downloading premium digital content.  We deliver secure management, protection and download services for hundreds of publishers and institutions (rights holders) and thousands of libraries, retailers and distributors serving millions of end users.  With a global catalog of premium digital titles – including current best sellers – of eBooks, audio books, music, video and (coming soon) games & interactive software presentable in a single platform, OverDrive offers the industry’s best selection as well as the option to manage, protect and download proprietary content.  Founded in 1986, OverDrive is based in Cleveland, Ohio.  www.overdrive.com

Contacts:

David Burleigh

OverDrive, Inc.

216-573-6886 x218

dburleigh@overdrive.com

###