New flexible collections provide academic libraries with increased access and more budget-friendly options

 

 

PITTSBURGH – March 15, 2023 – OverDrive Academic today announced new open access and flexible digital content collections for academic libraries that provide unlimited simultaneous use with more cost certainty. The new Open Access collection for Taylor & Francis provides libraries and schools with a collection of premium academic content at no cost, increasing access to knowledge and promoting collaboration for students and institutions. In addition, OverDrive announced a new Cost Per Circ (CPC) collection for Wiley that supports lifelong learning and professional development and helps libraries meet patron demand and budget (available until April 30, 2023).

Attendees of the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) 2023 Conference in Pittsburgh from March 15-17 can learn more about these updates at the OverDrive Academic booth #1107. OverDrive Academic is a division of OverDrive that supplies ebooks, audiobooks and other digital content to hundreds of two- and four-year colleges and universities worldwide. Its award-winning Libby reading app is used by millions of readers around the globe.

The new content offerings from OverDrive Academic include budget-friendly options to meet colleges’ and universities’ increasing demand for academic and professional development titles. First, Taylor & Francis’ Open Access collection of more than 1,400 free Simultaneous Use ebooks make published academic research available at no cost with unlimited access. Additional Open Access ebooks from other publishers – including University of Michigan Press – will be offered in the coming months.

In addition, academic libraries can now choose from more than 400 Wiley Cost Per Circ (CPC) titles. This access model makes it possible for an academic library to cost-effectively offer a collection with no upfront cost, paying a small fee for each checkout. This allows the library to offer a large collection at a fraction of the cost of one that is typically purchased. These Wiley titles focus on personal and professional development, including the best-selling Dummies series, personal finance, test prep, economics and more. Wiley joins many other publishers that have made their titles available in the CPC model, bringing the CPC catalog to a total of hundreds of thousands of titles. Visit the OverDrive Academic Resource Center for additional catalog recommendations.

“With the past few years of remote learning and financial constraints, demand for ebooks and audiobooks on college campuses has exploded,” said Steve Rosato, Manager of OverDrive Academic. “Because of this, OverDrive Academic is now viewed as a critical resource by many librarians who realize the value of digital access to content that cannot be sourced elsewhere.  As a result, our academic business across North America has nearly doubled since 2020, and we have increased our footprint with Big Ten and Ivy League schools as well as consortia and community colleges.”

With academic librarians’ time and resources at an all-time premium, OverDrive Academic now offers Collection Development services. Librarians can save time by leveraging OverDrive staff librarians’ expert knowledge of both academic and extracurricular catalogs to build a successful collection. Colleges and universities can request OverDrive librarians to build a customized Collection Development Profile which can include preferred and recommended formats, lending models and genres, and can generate standing digital content orders based upon each library’s needs. OverDrive staff then conducts all the research and curation, and the library oversees the approval and purchasing.

At the ACRL 2023 Conference from March 15-17, OverDrive is meeting with academic librarians and educators to share best practices on maximizing the appeal and cost-effectiveness of their digital collections. To schedule a meeting, email 2023acrl@overdrive.com or stop by booth #1107.

Presentations include (all times EST):

  • OverDrive’s Product Update Service Resources
    • Wed 3/15 at 6pm; Thu 3/16 at 3pm; Fri 3/17 at 11:30am
  • Maximize Streaming Video’s Reach with a Strategic Multi-Model Approach
    • Thu 3/16 at 9:30am
  • Learn About OverDrive’s Variety of Lending Model Options
    • Thu 3/16 at 10:30am; Fri 3/17 at 2pm
  • OverDrive Magazines & Comics
    • Thu 3/16 at 11:30am; Fri 3/17 at 9:30am
  • Best Practices: Promoting Kanopy to Faculty and Staff
    • Thu 3/16 at 1:30pm

Learn more about OverDrive Academic and the Libby app.

 

About OverDrive Academic – a division of OverDrive

OverDrive Academic offers the industry’s largest catalog of ebooks and audiobooks for hundreds of two- and four-year colleges and universities worldwide. With the Libby reading app, named one of Popular Mechanics’ 20 Best Apps of the Decade, OverDrive Academic helps support academic objectives with educational and popular digital books. Founded in 1986, OverDrive – the leading digital reading platform for libraries and schools – and OverDrive Academic are based in Cleveland, Ohio USA. OverDrive recently acquired Kanopy, the leading streaming video service for public libraries and academic institutions. https://company.overdrive.com/academic-libraries/

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

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