Library Ebook Use Tripled in 2011 – Said OverDrive
OverDrive are reporting today that they’ve seen a record number of new ebook patrons over the past year, as well as a vast increase in app installs, mobile checkouts, and a vast increase in ebook checkouts.
It’s been a stellar year at OverDrive, with total ebook turnover looking to hit 16 million checkouts, which would be triple that of 2010. They’ve also seen a near doubling of new users signing up, with nearly 2,000,000 already joined this year. Those new users have also added to a spike in installs for OverDrive reading app; there’s now over 9 million copies of the OverDrive Media Console in use, including over 2 million on iOS and Android.
OverDrive continue to maintain their lead in the library ebook market, and they have over 15 thousand partner libraries sharing thousands of ebooks and audiobooks everyday. Patrons can read and listen on their PC, BlackBerry, Android, or iPad.
But OverDrive won’t be the only game in town for much longer. 3M are working on their own competing platform, and early reports on the beta testing are quite positive. The 3M Cloud Library is intended to go head-to-head with OverDrive, and it can go one better. 3M have also designed the platform so it can lend the ebook readers as well as the ebooks, and let the library staff manage them from the one portal.
Baker & Taylor also launched a library ebook platform this year called Axis 360. it’s being launched in close partnerrship with Barnes & Noble and is intended to work with the Nook ebook readers. It’s still under development though, but it’s going to launch with titles that Baker & Taylor currently distribute through Blio.
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image by mamamusings
Comments
emily October 12, 2011 um 12:27 pm
I’ve definitely noticed this over the past year. Many library ebooks now have hold lists, and in years previous, they used to generally be available for check out immediately. Nice to hear about the non-overdrive options, especially the ebook lending. It’s about time libraries got ebook devices to lend to the public, even if it’s only in the library itself (like computers).
Mikaela October 12, 2011 um 12:44 pm
I switched libraries recently from Philadelphia Free Library to Singapore library, and the main reason was the waiting lists. It is a huge difference now, so I am glad I switched. Will the wait lists on Singapore library increase with time? Probably.
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