Contact Information: Contact: David Burleigh OverDrive, Inc. 216-573-6886 x218
Cleveland Public Library First to Offer EPUB eBook Downloads
eBooks for Sony(R) Reader, Plus Patron-Defined Lending Periods, Among Enhancements for Libraries Powered by OverDrive
| Source: OverDrive, Inc.
CLEVELAND, OH--(Marketwire - January 15, 2009) - Cleveland Public Library
(http://emedia.clevnet.org) today became the first public library to offer
eBook downloads in the industry standard EPUB format. Readers at both
Cleveland Public Library and CLEVNET member libraries can check out and
download EPUB eBooks from the library's download website. The EPUB files
are optimized for the Sony® Reader and can also be read on a PC or Mac®
with free Adobe® Digital Editions software. More than 8,500 libraries
powered by OverDrive (www.overdrive.com) will soon be able to offer eBooks
in the EPUB format, along with more than 150,000 titles in audiobook,
eBook, music, and video formats, many of which are compatible with both Mac
and iPod®.
Patron-defined lending periods will also be available for the first time
today at http://emedia.clevnet.org. The new feature allows libraries to
offer a variety of borrowing options, such as 7, 14, or 21 day lending
periods. Fast readers can now select a shorter checkout time, allowing them
to borrow more titles from their library. Patron-defined lending periods,
EPUB eBooks, and other upcoming enhancements will be demonstrated at the
American Library Association Midwinter Meeting 2009
(http://www.ala.org/ala/conferencesevents/upcoming/midwinter/home.cfm) on
Jan. 23-26 (Booth #2042).
EPUB is a reflowable, XML-based format for eBooks and other digital
publications developed by the International Digital Publishing Forum
(www.idpf.org) and adopted by leading publishers and technology firms as
the industry standard for eBooks. OverDrive, an IDPF member company, is the
only library download service that supports EPUB and integrates the format
into a single platform for delivering digital audiobooks, eBooks, music,
and video to library customers. More information on the EPUB format is
available at http://overdrive.com/resources/mediaformats/eBooks.asp.
"EPUB eBooks are enhanced for mobile reading with reflowable text to fit
any screen and are compatible with the Sony Reader," said David Burleigh,
director of marketing for OverDrive. "Major publishers such as Hachette
Book Group USA, Random House, and HarperCollins offer eBooks to libraries
in this emerging standard format, so library customers will be able to
enjoy award-winning and best-selling EPUB eBooks with just their library
card and an Internet-connected computer."
"Introducing the EPUB format in the library market will enhance the eBook
experience for library patrons, as well as accelerate the wide-spread
adoption of this standard for digital reflowable text," said Michael Smith,
executive director of the IDPF. "More publishers are utilizing EPUB as they
digitize front and backlist titles to provide a greater selection for
digital library patrons."
OverDrive distributes thousands of EPUB eBooks from top publishers. EPUB
eBooks by James Patterson, Stephenie Meyer, David Sedaris, Janet Evanovich,
Elmore Leonard, Lisa Kleypas, and Brad Meltzer will soon be available to
libraries powered by OverDrive. Popular and best-selling EPUB titles will
also be available, including "Dewey: The Small Town Library Cat," "Things
I've Learned from Women Who've Dumped Me," "Twilight: The Complete
Illustrated Movie Companion," and "Gossip Girl."
All EPUB eBook downloads from the OverDrive-powered library download
website are borrowed just like a print book. A library customer can browse
a library's digital catalog for titles, check out a title with a library
card, and download the eBook to his or her home computer. The titles can be
transferred from the library customer's home computer to a Sony Reader
PRS-505 (with proper firmware installed) or PRS-700 using the Adobe Digital
Editions software. At the end of the lending period, the file automatically
expires and Adobe Digital Editions prompts the user to delete the title
from his or her computer.
OverDrive powers download media catalogs at thousands of libraries
worldwide, including institutions in New York, Singapore, Boston, and
Toronto. To see if your library is a member of the OverDrive network, visit
http://search.overdrive.com. OverDrive also operates the Digital Bookmobile
(www.digitalbookmobile.com), a high-tech 18-wheeler that travels
coast-to-coast raising awareness about free library downloads.
About OverDrive
OverDrive is a leading full-service digital distributor of eBooks,
audiobooks, music, and video. We deliver secure management, DRM protection,
and download fulfillment services for hundreds of publishers and thousands
of libraries, schools, and retailers serving millions of end users. Founded
in 1986, OverDrive is based in Cleveland, OH. www.overdrive.com