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By Paul Biba

Below is the abstract from It’s been Geometric! Documenting the Growth and Acceptance of eBooks in America’s Urban Public Libraries which will be given at the World Library and Information Congress in Milan this year.

Picture 1.pngThe first foray of many American public libraries into the eBook format began with the launch of netLibrary in 1998. In the late 90’s and into the early 21st Century regional consortia licensing and small local collections helped public libraries test the viability and popularity of this new format with their library users. Interestingly though, over the last five years most American public libraries that now offer eBooks to their patrons have left netLibrary (now owned by OCLC) behind and have begun to work with a single Cleveland (OH) based company– OverDrive. In less than five years OverDrive has partnered with publishers and with 8500 public libraries in the US and Canada to license and deliver over 100,000 titles to public and school library users. Interestingly, even though netLibrary continues and major public library vendors (such as Ingram and Baker and Taylor) now offer eBooks for sale, American public libraries seem to prefer OverDrive as its sole source for eBooks, downloadable audio and music and video content.

What elements have contributed to OverDrive’s dominance in the public library space? Library partners cite OverDrive’s provision of a locally branded-portal to manage their eBooks, audio books, music, and video. Publishers and other copyright holders report confidence in OverDrive’s secure DRM-content protection and user authentication via library card log-ins. Public library collection development staff cite download software that will allow patrons to access quality collections assembled by local collection development librarians while leveraging the new found portability of audio books, music, and video for 24/7 access.

Thanks to ResourceShelf.

 
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