Overdrive is the largest company involved in the digital library sector and they power the collections of thousands of branches all over the world. The company has just launched a new initiative called Hub, which has new outreach tools, data reporting dashboards and catalog management services to empower librarians to reach and engage patrons more efficiently.
The Overdrive Hub will be a destination for all librarians, accessed via single sign-on using Overdrive Marketplace credentials. Library staff can build and grow their digital collection, curate content, gain insights and analytics, and communicate to their community about library news and events.
Components of Overdrive Hub will include:
- Newsroom: Libraries will be able to share service announcements, branch updates, author events, surveys, fundraising activities and other library programs — all within the Libby app! Newsroom adds more Libby layout customization and curation options, as well as a feature to post “shelf talkers” for specific titles or shelves.
- The Loop: Building on the growing list of Marketplace Insights, The Loop will provide new charts, reports and dashboards of the library’s digital collection activity. This includes discovering how end users engage with curated shelves, reading behaviors and Newsroom campaigns. Data presented in The Loop will be aggregated and anonymized.
- Overdrive Marketplace: The world’s leading digital catalog for public libraries will add a new “One Shop” collection development tool that displays all available lending models and prices for titles or series to streamline informed selection. Additional development includes new workflows for managing metered accessed materials, patron insights, account-level weeding and more. Overdrive Marketplace provides libraries total control over the selection of titles and lending models with proven tools to curate engaging content for all audiences
I like that Overdrive is finally having everything in one place, which should provide collection managers and senior staff with all sorts of useful metrics and loan habits. This will allow them to stop paying for underperforming titles and focus on ordering more copies of books that patrons are engaging with the most.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.