Overdrive was sold by Rakuten on Christmas Eve to KKR, the same company that owns Recorded Books and their various publishing imprints. In an email to all of their library partners, CEO Steve Potash outlined how this deal will affect their audiobook and ebook business and what libraries can expect in 2020."It was recently announced that New York-based private equity firm … [Read more...] about Overdrive CEO discloses new information on KKR deal
Digital Library News
RBMedia continues to shatter records for digital library lending
RBMedia, which is the organization that includes Recorded Books is the global number two player, behind Overdrive. In 2019 the company added 6,500 new audiobooks to the platform and saw an increase of 52% in the number of titles borrowed. The app saw a 28% increase in installs and achieved a review score of 4.7 (out 5) in the Apple App Store. Audiobooks.com users listened to … [Read more...] about RBMedia continues to shatter records for digital library lending
More people visit the library than see movies or sporting events
The public library system is not as sexy as the latest Marvel movie or the NHL All Star Game, but more people visit their local branch than see movies. In 2019 1.3 billion people visited the public library in the United States, whereas 1.2 million went to the theatre. A recent Gallup Poll also found that more people visit the library, than attend all sporting events combined, … [Read more...] about More people visit the library than see movies or sporting events
Overdrive launches new Libby website
Overdrive is looking to give libraries all of the graphic imagery they need and all sorts of documentation for the Libby app. The company has just launched a new website that has all of this and lots more.Overdrive Libby is their app that focuses on audiobooks and ebooks only. The app also provides users with the ability to apply for a digital library card, without having … [Read more...] about Overdrive launches new Libby website
73 libraries have loaned out 1 million ebooks in 2019
Libraries from five different countries reached the million checkout mark when it came to ebook loans. Half of all the libraries that joined the club had more than 2 million checkouts in 2019. Collectively, this group amassed a staggering 174 million checkouts. The Toronto Public Library system is the best in Canada and they have loaned out over six million titles and five … [Read more...] about 73 libraries have loaned out 1 million ebooks in 2019
KKR is turning into a library juggernaut
KKR purchased Overdrive on Christmas Eve and now own the largest digital distributor for public libraries all over the world. They also own RB Digital, which is otherwise known as Recorded Books, a purchase they made in 2018. It looks like in 2020, KKR is dominating the library space and there are few competitors left.OverDrive has a worldwide network of 43,000 schools and … [Read more...] about KKR is turning into a library juggernaut
Rakuten sells Overdrive to KKR
Rakuten purchased Overdrive in 2015 for $410 million dollars and it looks like the company has been underperforming. Rakuten has just sold Overdrive on Christmas Eve to KKR. This company is no stranger to the library scene, they purchased RBmedia last year, which serves magazines, comics, ebooks and audiobooks. They also have a stake in Audiobooks.com, Pandora, WebMD, UFC, … [Read more...] about Rakuten sells Overdrive to KKR
Overdrive Libby now has push notifications
Overdrive Libby is a relatively new app for Android and iOS that focuses on reading ebooks and listening to audiobooks. There is a new update that introduces push notifications, so you never have to worry about missing a hold or worrying about when a digital book is going to expire again.Push notifications can be enabled or disabled by the user and can some of the new … [Read more...] about Overdrive Libby now has push notifications
Overdrive is launching Hold Redelivery soon
Overdrive is the company that powers the vast majority of the public library systems digital catalog, they have an insane market share not only in North America, but Europe too. They are in the process of launching a new feature called Hold Redelivery will allow users to suspend a hold even after it’s made available to them while maintaining their place on the waitlist. By … [Read more...] about Overdrive is launching Hold Redelivery soon
Big 5 Publishers Digital Lending and Purchase Models for Public Libraries
Public libraries in the United States, who have a audiobook and ebook collection, have to deal with all of the big five publishers. Each publisher has different terms and conditions, as well as pricing. This can create headaches for collection managers. Some books can 1200% more than what people pay on Amazon for the same title, while others expire after a certain number of … [Read more...] about Big 5 Publishers Digital Lending and Purchase Models for Public Libraries
Publishers, stop price gouging Canadian ebooks
Publishers are in the position where they can dictate the terms of how much they sell digital books to public libraries. Most charge 2x to 5x the retail price that you would pay on Amazon, a bestseller would often cost a library $60 each and they expire after a certain number of loans or in two years, whatever comes first. Good e-Reader has a very comprehensive data that was … [Read more...] about Publishers, stop price gouging Canadian ebooks
Macmillan CEO defends Library ebook embargo as boycotts mount
A delegation of state librarians met with Macmillan CEO John Sargent last week and the publisher reiterated their claims that new ebooks in the library are hurting their sales. Macmillan has concerns that ebook sales are rising in public libraries but declining with consumers. Sargent stated that a new digital book release was akin to a new movie hitting theatres and they have … [Read more...] about Macmillan CEO defends Library ebook embargo as boycotts mount
