National Library Board of Singapore Launches Digital Business Library

SINGAPORE – October 23, 2017 – Companies, from startups to multinational conglomerates, will be able to get access to top business resources in a new Digital Business Library. The new resource is a one-stop portal launched by the National Library Board of Singapore (NLB), in conjunction with OverDrive, the leading digital reading platform for libraries and schools.

The Digital Business Library provides 24/7 access to over 19,000 eBook and audiobook titles from the world’s foremost business authors, and are available for borrowing instantly on smartphone, tablet or desktop computer with a valid library account at www.nlb.gov.sg. With the Digital Business Library’s curated collections, the latest trends in businesses will now be at the fingertips, including topics on cybersecurity, business intelligence, neuroscience and data analytics.

“We are proud to offer the world’s first Digital Business Library to serve the needs of our broad and varied business community in Singapore,” said Siow Shong Seng, Director of Technology and Service Innovation for the National Library Board of Singapore.  “Our goal is to provide instant access to world-class resources to empower businesses and individuals. We want to encourage and inspire people to read, learn and upgrade their skills on-the-go with this unique new service.”

To develop the catalog, OverDrive and NLB consulted with leading international training and development executives for current trends in business and professional development. Based on this consultation and research, thousands of titles were selected in a variety of subjects, and specialty collections were curated in a number of areas such as Accelerate Your Personal Productivity, What’s Your Emotional Intelligence IQ, and the Future of Tech & Innovation. Readers will also be able to tap on the publications of some of the most well-known business thinkers including Michael Porter, Clayton Christensen and Seth Godin.

“The Digital Business Library is an excellent extension of the success the National Library Board has enjoyed in providing its users with convenient access to popular and relevant eBooks and audiobooks,” said Steve Potash, President and Chief Executive Officer of Rakuten OverDrive.  “OverDrive has enabled public libraries all over the world to reach readers of all ages, including digital reading rooms for adults, kids, and teens. We are excited to work with the National Library Board to offer the first digital library collection that is specifically designed to help businesses, employees, and entrepreneurs.”

The site, like the rest of the NLB digital collection, utilizes a responsive, mobile-friendly interface, and is accessible through the website or the OverDrive’s mobile apps. New content is added to the site regularly.

NLB was an early pioneer in digital library lending and has quickly advanced into an international leader of innovation for digital reading. The library offers an expansive and growing collection of more than 130,000 unique titles for popular reading, children’s, language learning and more. It has experienced significant growth in recent years and achieved the milestone of 1 million digital checkouts in 2017.

For more information about National Library Board of Singapore, visit www.nlb.gov.sg. For more information about OverDrive, visit www.overdrive.com.

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About National Library Board of Singapore

The National Library Board (NLB) nurtures Readers for Life, Learning Communities and a Knowledgeable Nation. Through the National Library and its network of 26 public libraries, NLB promotes reading, learning and information literacy. By forging strategic partnerships to cultivate knowledge sharing, the libraries also encourage appreciation and awareness of Singapore’s history through their wide range of programmes and collection on Singapore and regional content. The National Archives of Singapore, an institution of NLB, oversees the collection, preservation and management of public and private archival records, including government files, private memoirs, maps, photographs, oral history interviews and audio-visual materials. NLB also uses innovative technology to provide access to its digital library resources and services, and archival collection. Established on 1 September 1995 as a statutory board, NLB is now under the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI). For more information on NLB, please visit www.nlb.gov.sg.

About Rakuten OverDrive

OverDrive is the leading digital reading platform for libraries and schools worldwide. We are dedicated to “a world enlightened by reading” by delivering the industry’s largest catalog of eBooks, audiobooks and other digital media to a growing network of 38,000 libraries and schools in 70 countries. Founded in 1986, OverDrive is based in Cleveland, Ohio USA and owned by Tokyo-based Rakuten. www.overdrive.com

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