OverDrive library partners lend more than 8.7 million digital titles including most downloaded book ‘The Lost Symbol’ by Dan Brown

 

(Boston, MA) – American Library Association Midwinter – January 13, 2010 – OverDrive (www.overdrive.com), the global leader in eBook and audiobook distribution, today announced significant milestones in library download circulation and web traffic in 2009. Patrons at more than 10,000 OverDrive-powered libraries worldwide viewed 401 million download website pages and checked out 8.7 million eBook, audiobook, music and video titles, both of which are all-time highs. On the heels of this record-breaking year for library downloads, OverDrive will demonstrate its success in enabling access to more than 300,000 eBook, audiobook, music, and video titles on popular devices, including PC, Mac®, iPod®, iPhone®, Zune®, Windows Mobile®, Sony® Reader™, nook™, and DROID™ by Motorola®, at ALA Midwinter in Boston (booth #2446), January 15-18, 2010.

In 2009, OverDrive partners achieved this substantial increase in usage as a result of the growing popularity of eBooks, iPod-compatibility for nearly all audiobooks in its catalog, and new mobile initiatives for wireless downloading, among other enhancements. Key statistics and milestones for OverDrive-powered libraries include:

  • 401 million website pages viewed by library patrons (69 percent growth over 2008) and 8.7 million digital titles checked out (63 percent increase over 2008)
  • 4 billion minutes of spoken word audio downloaded from library websites
  • 70 percent increase in audiobook checkouts over 2008, while eBook checkouts increased by 53 percent
  • 40 percent increase in new library users over 2008
  • The OverDrive digital catalog for libraries grew to 300,000 titles with the addition of 100,000 eBooks, 27,000 audiobooks, and 4,000 music and video titles
  • Using new Facebook® and Twitter™ sharing features, library users shared what they were downloading from their library thousands of times
  • OverDrive launched mobile versions of nearly all library download websites and released audiobook apps for Windows Mobile and Android phones

Dan Brown’s international blockbuster “The Lost Symbol” was the most downloaded adult fiction audiobook and eBook of 2009 from the library. Titles from Stephenie Meyer, Malcolm Gladwell, and Barack Obama were also among the most downloaded books from the library in 2009. Top five titles in each adult category include:

Most Downloaded Adult Fiction Audiobooks from the Library (2009)

(Title, Author, Publisher)

  1. The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown, Books on Tape
  2. The Host, Stephenie Meyer, Books on Tape
  3. The Associate, John Grisham, Books on Tape
  4. Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand, Blackstone Audio, Inc.
  5. The 8th Confession, James Patterson, Books on Tape

Most Downloaded Adult Fiction eBooks from the Library (2009)

(Title, Author, Publisher)

  1. The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
  2. Devil in Winter, Lisa Kleypas, HarperCollins
  3. Again the Magic, Lisa Kleypas, HarperCollins
  4. Because You’re Mine, Lisa Kleypas, HarperCollins
  5. Dreaming of You, Lisa Kleypas, HarperCollins

Most Downloaded Adult Nonfiction Audiobooks from the Library (2009)

(Title, Author, Publisher)

  1. 25 Things to Say to the Interviewer to Get the Job You Want, Dexter Hawk, Blackstone Audio
  2. Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell, Books on Tape
  3. Blink, Malcolm Gladwell, Books on Tape
  4. Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson, Tantor Media
  5. The 4-Hour Work Week, Timothy Ferriss, Blackstone Audio

Most Downloaded Adult Nonfiction eBooks from the Library (2009)

(Title, Author, Publisher)

  1. Blink, Malcolm Gladwell, Little, Brown and Company
  2. The 100 Simple Secrets of Successful People, David Niven, HarperCollins
  3. Marley & Me, John Grogan, HarperCollins
  4. Dreams from My Father, Barack Obama, Crown Publishing Group
  5. Change Your Brain, Change Your Life, Daniel G. Amen, M.D., Crown Publishing Group

OverDrive also releases monthly ‘Most Downloaded Books from the Library’ lists, which showcase the most popular digital book titles at OverDrive-powered public libraries. To see what library users are downloading each month, visit http://overdrive.com/mostdownloaded.

OverDrive also operates the Digital Bookmobile (www.digitalbookmobile.com), a high-tech 18-wheeler traveling North America on behalf of public libraries to raise awareness about free library downloads. In 2009, the Digital Bookmobile held 155 events with public libraries in 34 states and provinces. Since the tour launched in August of 2008, the Digital Bookmobile has traveled more than 25,000 miles and trained more than 35,000 library users on download services from their library. You can follow the Digital Bookmobile’s national tour on Twitter (http://twitter.com/digibookmobile) and Facebook (http://facebook.com/digitalbookmobile).

To see if your public library is a member of the OverDrive network, visit http://search.overdrive.com.

 

About OverDrive
OverDrive is a leading full-service digital distributor of eBooks, audiobooks, music, and video. We deliver secure management, DRM protection, and download fulfillment services for hundreds of publishers and thousands of libraries, schools, and retailers, serving millions of end users. OverDrive has been named to the EContent 100 as a company that matters most in the digital content industry. Founded in 1986, OverDrive is based in Cleveland, OH. www.overdrive.com

Contact:
David Burleigh
OverDrive, Inc.
216-573-6886 x218
dburleigh@overdrive.com

 

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