DENVER, CO - 04/26/04) -- Denver Public Library's new online service (http://ebooks.denverlibrary.org) is giving city residents access to popular eBooks directly from their homes and offices. OverDrive, Inc., a leading vendor of eBook solutions for libraries, supplied the technology for the new service. Denver Public Library serves over a half-million residents. A whopping 80% of the city's population has a library card and access to the new service.
"This is an exciting opportunity to provide eBooks to the city," said Michelle Jeske, Manager of Web Information Services. "This year, we saw a 24% increase in the number of online library transactions. eBooks that can be downloaded from our website fit very well with this kind of public demand," she added.
The Library's eBook collection includes bestsellers and classics, fiction and non-fiction, from popular authors and leading publishers such as HarperCollins, McGraw-Hill, Zondervan, and John Wiley and Sons. Patrons download free reader software and then use their Denver Public Library cards to check out and download eBooks. eBooks are available in Adobe PDF format and Mobipocket format.
Jeske says of the new system, "Patrons will appreciate the flexibility of this service. They can choose from romance, mysteries, study guides, computer manuals, travel guides, biographies, and more. And with choice of reader format, they can take eBooks with them on their PDAs, Pocket PCs, and Smartphones, or read them on their home PCs or Macs. I think they will also love the automatic return feature, which eliminates late fees." Patrons can also choose automatic email notification when a waitlisted title becomes available for checkout.
Later this year, the Denver Public Library will be offering its customers digital audiobooks for download. This new service will allow customers to listen to popular audiobooks on a tremendous range of devices including PCs, PDAs, portable audio players, and Smartphones. "The Denver Public Library is committed to providing its customers with the richest array of digital resources," said Access Services Director Jo Sarling. "This is definitely the future of libraries, and we're proud to be among the leaders of this trend."
To browse eBooks, go to (http://ebooks.denverlibrary.org). A valid Denver Public Library card is required to checkout and download eBooks from the website.
About OverDrive, Inc.
OverDrive is the leading developer of digital media technology and a distributor of eBooks and other digital content to public libraries in the US and the UK. Current customers include Cleveland Public Library, King County Public Library, Denver Public Library, San Jose Public Library and others. Strategic partners include Microsoft Corporation, Adobe Systems, Inc., Dynix and MobiPocket. The company is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.
