Cleveland, OH -- March 12, 2025. Ten years ago, Bücherhallen Hamburg (Hamburg Public Library) became the first library in Germany to partner with OverDrive, the world's leading digital content provider for libraries and creator of Libby, the library ready app. To celebrate a decade of enhancing digital reading in Germany, OverDrive is deepening its investment in the market. The first step in this investment is Lesefreude mit Libby, a collection of dozens of premium in-copyright eBooks and audiobooks. This collection, licensed and donated by OverDrive, will be available to all German public libraries through March 2026.

For nearly 40 years, OverDrive has been a trusted partner to the creative community, protecting copyright and supporting book discovery in libraries worldwide. Lesefreude mit Libby reinforces this commitment, strengthening support for German publishers and authors while expanding access to high-quality digital content. The collection of 50 titles, featuring eBooks and audiobooks from various publishers including Zeilenfluss and Saga Egmont, will supplement existing digital collections while ensuring authors and publishers receive appropriate permissions and compensation. The collection will feature mostly romance titles, such as "This Love is Forever" by Layla Hagen and "Raureifträume auf Rügen" by Birgit Gruber, and titles from other in-demand fiction genres.

This milestone is especially meaningful for the OverDrive team member leading the effort. "I was born and raised in Hamburg within walking distance of Bücherhallen Hamburg," says Claudia Weissman, Vice President of Global Libraries & Education at OverDrive. "Seeing firsthand how digital books are inspiring more readers across Germany fills me with immense joy. We feel honored supporting the German library community and ensuring German authors benefit from these evolving reading trends."

As the first German library to partner with OverDrive, Bücherhallen Hamburg has led the way in digital innovation, fostering a digital ecosystem that has encouraged other libraries to expand their digital services.

"When Bücherhallen Hamburg partnered with OverDrive ten years ago, we saw an opportunity to expand our digital offerings and provide readers with even greater choice," reflects Frauke Untiedt, Director of Bücherhallen Hamburg. "OverDrive complemented our existing digital services by introducing international content, followed by German-language audiobooks, further enriching our collection. Since then, digital reading has become an essential part of our library, allowing us to reach more readers than ever before. The past decade has been a remarkable journey, and we are proud to have played a role in shaping the future of digital lending in Germany."

Since entering the German market, OverDrive has introduced a series of industry-first innovations, including:

• "Notify Me" feature, allowing patrons to suggest titles for purchase
• Librarian-curated showcases within Libby, offering personalized discovery experiences
• Leselounge mit Libby, an annual free digital book club launched for libraries in Germany, Austria and Switzerland in 2023 which has generated more than 16,000 checkouts of the featured German-language titles
• Apple CarPlay and Android Automotive support, enabling seamless in-car listening
• A robust collection of international titles, in addition to an extensive German-language catalog
• Early return functionality for audiobooks to maximize availability
• Flexible access models, enabling libraries to optimize circulation and budgets

These innovations, combined with the dedication of German libraries, have led to key milestones:

• Verbund Öffentlicher Bibliotheken Berlin (Berlin Public Library) was the first German library to surpass one million digital checkouts in Libby and now exceeds 2.5 million annually, making it the top circulating Libby library in Europe.
• Stadtbibliothek Braunschweig (Braunschweig Public Library) was the first to primarly use Libby for all their digital offer formats, including eMagazines, eComics, and Libby Extras, providing a comprehensive digital reading experience.
• Stadtbibliothek Regensburg (Regensburg Public Library) leads a consortium that maximizes Libby's features, including Newsroom and book clubs, for deeper community engagement.
• Westleihe24 has been a key innovator, testing and implementing flexible access models, ensuring cost-effective digital collection development.
• Schleswig-Holstein became the first entire German state to adopt audiobooks in Libby, expanding access to thousands of listeners.

Beyond Lesefreude mit Libby, OverDrive is expanding its investment in Germany by building tools and resources to better serve the country's libraries, authors, and publishers. These efforts will enhance digital collection development, offer new audience-building opportunities for rights holders, and further strengthen the role of libraries in Germany's literary ecosystem.

"We are delighted to celebrate Germany's rich storytelling tradition by deepening our investment in its libraries, authors, and publishers," adds Weissman. "As digital reading continues to grow, we remain committed to supporting the creative community and helping libraries connect readers with the books they love."

To further demonstrate this commitment, OverDrive representatives will be attending Leipziger Buchmesse (Leipzig Book Fair) and London Book Fair to connect with publishers and library partners. For more information, visit http://de.overdrive.com.

About OverDrive

OverDrive is a mission-based company that supports libraries and schools worldwide. Named a Certified B Corp in 2017, OverDrive serves more than 92,000 libraries and schools in 115 countries with the industry's largest digital catalog of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, video, and other content. OverDrive empowers libraries and schools by expanding access for all through tireless industry advocacy and consistent innovation. Award-winning apps and services include the Libby library reading app, the Sora student reading platform, Kanopy, the leading video streaming app for libraries and colleges, and TeachingBooks, which offers one of the largest catalogs of supplemental materials that enhance literacy outcomes. Founded in 1986, OverDrive is based in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. www.overdrive.com