By Adam Sockel, OverDrive’s Social Media Specialist

The holidays are a busy time. We appreciate that you are likely running multiple seasonal campaigns and events while also dealing with staff taking time off. To top everything off, each holiday season leads to an influx of new users accessing your OverDrive materials which leads to increased questions and demand. To that end we’ve come up with five ways to simplify your holiday season.

  1. CaptureSign up for our popular “Prepare for the Holiday Rush” free webinar. We are offering another live version due to high demand. Learn tips and tricks for boosting circulation and increasing your collection’s value. Can’t make it on the 10th? We have a recorded version available as well.
  2. Create Marketplace accounts for all your staff members. Marketplace is a valuable tool that your staff can use for more than just purchasing. You can set up restrictions for all your staff that enables them to create carts for you to purchase, learn about the latest OverDrive news, monitor your statistics and holds and create curated collections. Most importantly, all staff members who have a Marketplace login have a direct line to OverDrive’s Support Team. This is perfect for assisting a user anytime they have a question your staff might not have the answer to. To learn how easy it is to create new Marketplace accounts simply email your Collection Development Specialist at OverDrive.
  3. Print out our Learning Center help guides. You can access a zip file of our Getting Started Guides on our Learning Center as well, which you can print out and keep at your help desk. This handy tool will assist staff in answering questions for new patrons and also promote the service to those who might not be aware you offer digital titles.
  4. Facebook-Cover-Photo_You-Have-Devices-We-Have-eBooksMake your staff a walking library advertisement. Our Partner Portal has a number of great marketing materials including this zip file of wearable materialsto alert users about your digital titles. Having staff wear these buttons, stickers or t-shirts reminds both them and your users that you can get eBooks and audiobooks 24/7. This is a great message to promote, especially during the holidays when your hours may be shortened.
  5. Create a device petting zoo. Creating a dedicated location in your library where users can try out new devices is a great way to start a conversation about your digital collection. It’s also perfect for letting your staff get comfortable with new devices as well. Not only can they sample different device experiences but when a user has a question about getting started they can show them how easy it is to set up OverDrive right then and there.