By: Emma Kanagaki, OverDrive Collection Development Analyst.

I have always had an affinity for the United Kingdom that began when I was young. A self-confessed literature nerd, it was my dream to visit the lands of Harry Potter and Shakespeare and Robert Burns. When I was in college, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to live and study in London. Since that semester abroad, I have been dreaming, scheming, planning and counting down the days until I would set foot in Heathrow once again.

So it was with great joy that I was able to visit London in this April with a team of fellow OverDrive staff to attend the London Book Fair, host a library partner seminar and meet with valued library partners. Personally and professionally, I learned a lot from that visit. We had an amazing turnout at our library seminar, great meetings with publishers and insightful sit down visits with library partners from the greater London area.

As a result of partner feedback, there are a lot more new recommended lists for UK customers to easily find new and popular content. In addition to the regular lists that are updated weekly or monthly, I would love additional feedback and insight into go-to sources for British-centric content. Anything I can do to make it easier and more accessible for the librarians and the patrons is a top priority. We are also working on putting together a program to help libraries purchase stock easily and automatically with a supplier selection profile. Each month, we’ll help libraries refresh their stock collections with criteria of their choice.

UK Top Picks (Bestsellers & Review) May 2016

2016 Crime Fest Awards Nominees

The British Book Industry Awards Shortlist 2016

Reading Agency Big Friendly Summer Read 2016

Reading Agency Reading Well Mood-boosting Books

Reading Agency Reading Well for Young People

The Bookseller YA Book Prize 2016 Shortlist

2016 BBC Radio 4 Featured Books

I hope to provide even more of a presence in the UK for OverDrive and act as an advocate for and alongside our UK library partners. If you have suggestions for content or lists you’d like to see, please share them with the Collection Development team.