Overdrive announced a few months ago that they were getting back into the digital magazine business and the new service is now live. All of the magazines you borrow will be able to be read on the main Overdrive app and also Libby. A selection of the titles you’ll find available include OK! magazine, HGTV Magazine, O, The Oprah Magazine, ESPN, The Atlantic, New York Magazine, Newsweek, Reader’s Digest and many other popular publications.
Libraries who want to purchase digital magazines for their local branch can purchase a package of either 25 or 50 titles of their choosing. Subscriptions are on a yearly basis and once purchased, libraries will keep all magazines they have selected even after the subscription expires. Subscription prices are based on annual circulation. To see the full list of title options, visit their Sim Use page in Marketplace.
Overdrive soured on magazines for many years after an ill fated relationship with Barnes and Noble. The bookseller initially signed an agreement with Overdrive in 2015 and it barely lasted a year and the digital publications were only available in the United States. In 2016 Barnes and Noble announced they were quitting the library business and decided to scale back their entire digital business.
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.
