As more and more public and academic libraries institute ebook lending for their patrons, there are a few standout programs that are doing their utmost to further the lending design and foster discovery for books and authors. Today, Clevland, Ohio-based OverDrive, a leading supplier to institutions of digital content in a variety of forms, announced it had made selections for its list of top lending leaders for the previous year.
For 2012, the Library eBook Leaders are:
1. King County Library System, Wash. (1.3 million checkouts)
2. New York Public Library (1.1 million checkouts)
3. Toronto Public Library (900,000 checkouts)
4. Seattle Public Library (850,000 checkouts)
5. Hennepin County Library, Minn. (750,000 checkouts)
Public libraries recording the fastest growth for their eBook-lending catalogs in 2012:
1. Moreton Bay Libraries (Australia) (464% growth)
2. Mideastern Michigan Library Cooperative (370%)
3. Western Plains Library System (Okla.) (351%)
4. Up North Michigan Consortium (317%)
5. Northeast Texas Digital Consortium (300%)
OverDrive’s 2012 Outreach Program Contest recognized the following partners for raising awareness for eBooks and audiobook collections through effective and creative community outreach campaigns:
Best Overall Campaign: Mid-Continent Public Library, Mo.
Best Online Campaign: Marion County Public Library System, W. Va.
Best Inside the Library Campaign: Sacramento Public Library, Calif.
Best Outside the Library Campaign: Kent District Library, Mich.
Best Use of Reading Devices: Lambton County Library (Ontario, Canada)
These selections were made based on data that OverDrive collected during the course of the year. OverDrive will be unveiling some enhancements to its current catalog in the coming year, including streaming video technology, and new APIs that enable libraries to fully integrate digital and print catalogs.
Mercy Pilkington is a Senior Editor for Good e-Reader. She is also the CEO and founder of a hybrid publishing and consulting company.
