LEIPZIG, Germany – March 19, 2019 – Rakuten OverDrive, the leading digital reading platform worldwide, is partnering with the German digital distribution service provider Libreka to bring its ebook and digital audiobook catalog to public libraries in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Libreka is one of the largest distributors in Germany representing over 40,000 publishers and more than 1,000 domestic and international trading partners. This news was announced during Library Congress and Book Fair in Leipzig.

“We are pleased for the opportunity to combine Libreka’s market experience and expertise with the power of OverDrive’s platform and digital book knowledge of our global team,” said Claudia Weissman, Vice President, Global Library & Education at OverDrive. “With their established presence in the DACH region, Libreka brings a unique and valuable understanding of the ebook market as well as a strength in serving customers.”

OverDrive’s partnership with Libreka offers many advantages for public libraries and publishers in the DACH region. Established in 2006, Libreka has gained technical knowledge of the ebook industry and the DACH area which together will enable them to deliver quality service for OverDrive’s library customers. Libreka’s experience with publishers and deep knowledge of German-language content will also serve customers well.

“The first feedback from the libraries is excellent,” stated Balázs Csonka, COO of Libreka. “And we have been supplying OverDrive with German-language ebooks for distribution to libraries worldwide for a long time. We are delighted to support OverDrive with our industry knowledge and established connection with libraries and publishers in Germany.”

This partnership strengths OverDrive’s international presence and provides a deep foothold in the DACH region. With OverDrive offices in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and China, and partners like Libreka in many locations around the world, OverDrive now serves libraries and schools in 76 countries.

For more information about Libreka, visit https://info.libreka.de/ and for OverDrive, visit https://company.overdrive.com/.

 

About Libreka

With over 40,000 publishing contracts, over 1,000 affiliated trading partners and over 4.4 million e-books, Libreka GmbH is one of the largest distribution platforms for electronic books in Germany. Library and company catalogs also make use of Libreka’s stock of titles. The company has been a subsidiary of Zeilenwert GmbH since September 2015. This means that publishers and retailers can be provided with new additional services such as the production and optimization of digital content, the dispatch of digital reading and review copies and project orders at attractive conditions.

About Rakuten OverDrive

Rakuten 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, magazines and other digital media to a growing network of 43,000 libraries and schools in 76 countries. Named one of TIME’s Best iPhone and Android Apps of 2018, Libby is the “one-tap reading app” for libraries. Founded in 1986, OverDrive is based in Cleveland, Ohio USA and owned by Tokyo-based Rakuten. www.overdrive.com

Contact:
David Burleigh
Director of Marketing
dburleigh@overdrive.com

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