February is National Library Lovers Month! OverDrive, the leading digital reading platform for libraries and schools worldwide, celebrates the importance of its library partners around the world. In 2020, librarians – essential workers for their communities – overcame challenges to adapt many of their existing programs into virtual environments. OverDrive helped librarians pivot to expand their digital services, setting records in ebook and audiobook readership as the pandemic forced us all into a digital world.
Working closely with many of the 20,000 public libraries in its network, OverDrive met with library executives to understand the urgent nature of the challenges facing them. In spite of building closures, libraries sought cost-effective solutions to continue serving their communities with vital resources. In response, the company donated ebooks and audiobooks to meet the spike in demand, created tools for libraries to promote their services, stepped up virtual programs that connected readers and provided other valuable services.
During the peak of the Black Lives Matter protests and calls for social justice, OverDrive donated no-cost ebooks and audiobooks to more than 19,000 public libraries worldwide including Black Lives Matter and Own Voices & Diversity Books for Students. Plus, OverDrive created the Diverse Reads Reading Challenge, filling the void of connection brought on by the pandemic and encouraging patrons to read more broadly and discuss the books with others. The challenge was raised to read an ebook or audiobook that features a POC main character, LGBTQ+ main character, written by a black author or features an historical event.
OverDrive provided helpful tools such as free marketing kits for libraries, a webinar on how to promote the digital library during the pandemic, social media graphics and additional training for library staff as needed. In order to provide new opportunities for virtual connections, OverDrive provided simultaneous use access to select titles for programs like Big Library Read, the largest global digital book club. Through this popular program, libraries and their patrons around the world can connect virtually and discuss the latest book club title.
With physical locations closed for several months, our digital collection became even more important in connecting readers with books, supporting families with home learning resources, and serving our community,” said Kady Ferris, Electronic Content Librarian at Multnomah County Library. “In the past year, we’ve seen unprecedented demand for digital resources across multiple languages, learning materials, and anti-racist titles. OverDrive stepped up to help libraries meet the demand by providing unlimited access to hundreds of e-books and audiobooks for free. Thanks to this support and OverDrive’s curated collection tools, Multnomah County Library checked out a record-breaking 4.3 million e-books and audiobooks in 2020.
Because of the high demand for ebooks and the incredible efforts of librarians, OverDrive has seen a massive spike in digital reading on its reading app Libby. Since the start of the pandemic, OverDrive has seen a 42% year-over-year increase in digital book checkouts. Last year, a record 102 public library systems from around the world empowered readers to borrow over 1 million ebooks and audiobooks from their digital collections. This represents the most systems ever to reach this milestone through OverDrive. Contributing factors include increased digital book usage due to the pandemic, elevated interest in social justice titles and BIPOC authors and strong circulation growth for children’s and young adult titles because of remote learning.
Noteworthy achievements include Toronto Public Library attaining the highest number of checkouts in OverDrive history for the 8th time (8 million) and Los Angeles Public Library earning the title of #1 library system in the U.S. for the second year in a row. The complete list of Million Checkout Club libraries can be found here.
Through Libby, users have free access with a valid library card to ebooks, audiobooks, comic books, magazines, cookbooks and more from their local library. To begin borrowing from your local library, download the Libby app from the App Store or Google Play. For more information, visit www.overdrive.com.
About OverDrive
OverDrive strives to create “a world enlightened by reading.” Serving a growing network of 65,000 libraries and schools in 84 countries, OverDrive delivers the industry’s largest digital catalog of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines and other content through award-winning apps. The Libby reading app for libraries is one of Popular Mechanics’ 20 Best Apps of the Decade, while the student reading app Sora is one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2019. Founded in 1986, OverDrive is based in Cleveland, Ohio USA and was named a Certified B Corp in 2017.
