Digital reading enhances K-12 learning experience for 8 million students

CLEVELAND — Jan. 24, 2018 — The presence of eBooks and audiobooks continued to grow in K-12 classrooms and libraries in 2017, with student demand driving an impressive 45 percent increase in usage through OverDrive Education’s digital reading platform. Students embrace technology that affords them agency, protects their privacy and provides access beyond what most traditional libraries offer, all factors contributing to increased use. Sessions at this week’s Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC) at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando will demonstrate how eBooks serve the changing needs of students and educators at more than 18,000 districts and schools.

One key trend in 2017 driving digital book adoption is Shared eBook and Audiobook Collections across districts. More than 2,500 schools are now members of an OverDrive Shared Collection, up from 45 in 2016. With more students accessing premium content and best sellers, independent digital reading leads student usage. Top juvenile and young adult eBooks and audiobooks for K-12 in 2017 included:

  1. Wonder, R.J. Palacio
  2. The Lightning Thief, Rick Riordan
  3. Hatchet, Gary Paulsen
  4. The Maze Runner, James Dashner
  5. Thirteen Reasons Why, Jay Asher
  6. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs

Approximately 8 million students enjoyed access to eBooks and audiobooks through OverDrive in 2017. Visit FETC Booth #342 on Thursday, Jan. 25 to learn more about how schools are using their digital reading platform to positively impact education in both philosophical and pragmatic ways:

  • Jim Bence, Support Analyst from the Pinellas County School District (FL), will offer strategies for tailoring digital content to student need and how to expand learning environments with a Shared eBook and Audiobook Collection at 11:00 a.m.
  • Taking reader advisory from the stacks to the screen, Emily Swiger, Director of Media Services at Academy of the Holy Names (FL), will present at 1:30 p.m. Learn how to sustain great conversations about books with students while supporting their autonomy to make good digital reading choices.
  • Wrapping up in-booth sessions at 3:30 p.m., Shawn Maas, Media Specialist/ELA Instructor at Cypress Bay High School (FL), will share how OverDrive reduced his library’s physical space needs while continuing to expand the reading collection, and boosting circulation and engagement.

From digital class sets for English Language Arts to professional development, OverDrive’s growing catalog of millions of titles from over 5,000 publishers and exclusive-to-digital tools are enhancing the learning experience. Teachers and students can take notes on their device while reading, and teachers can integrate digital books with their everyday classroom tools. In addition, advancements in OverDrive’s popular app allows students with dyslexia to read in a dyslexic font.

For more information about OverDrive’s service for schools, visit overdrive.com/schools and FETC Booth #342.

About OverDrive Education – a division of OverDrive
OverDrive Education is the leading global digital reading platform for K-12, offering the industry’s largest catalog of eBooks, audiobooks and streaming video. As a 100% digital company serving 40,000 libraries and schools worldwide, OverDrive combines technology with content to support learning and reading in the classroom, library and home. With an easy-to-use central platform, students get the right titles at the right time, online or offline, on all major devices, including iOS®, Android™, Chromebook™ and Kindle® (U.S. only). Founded in 1986, OverDrive and OverDrive Education are based in Cleveland, Ohio USA, and owned by Tokyo-based Rakuten. We became a Certified B Corporation in 2017. www.overdrive.com/schools
Contact:
David Burleigh
Director of Marketing & Communications
dburleigh@overdrive.com
216-573-6886 ext. 218