A new system developed by OverDrive (library book/ebook distributors) will soon be coming to a library near you. Called the OverDrive Media Station, it is a touch screen kiosk that will help library patrons, and bookstore customers find digital content. Created to be user friendly, the screens will give step-by-step instructions on how to access and download digital books, audiobooks, videos, and articles to their devices.
The unit can be purchased a free-standing unit or as a wall-mounted unit. This new system was unveiled at BEA – Book Expo America, and orders for the kiosks will be taken at the American Library Association Conference this week in Chicago.
David Burleigh, director of Marketing for OverDrive said: “OverDrive Media Station provides a unique and compelling way for libraries to introduce their popular eBook, audiobook and video service to the millions of people who visit libraries every day. These large, interactive displays can be placed in high traffic areas throughout the library, from the welcome area to the café, to reach even more of the community and develop loyal users.”
Here’s more from OverDrive’s press release:
OverDrive, the world’s leading multichannel distributor of eBooks and MP3 audiobooks, today announced that it will demonstrate OverDrive Media Station at BookExpo America (BEA). Designed to merchandise and sell eBooks in retail stores, OverDrive Media Station is a digital touchscreen eBook station that can be customized with a retailer’s brand for in-store engagement with readers. It displays top-selling titles and provides access to one million eBook and MP3 audiobook titles in every genre.
Visitors to BEA can experience a hands-on demonstration of OverDrive Media Station at OverDrive’s booth (#1438) throughout the conference, which takes place in New York City, May 30 thru June 1.
“Publishers and authors are very excited to support retail booksellers to supplement their print book sales by enabling them to sell eBooks to customers in their stores,” said Erica Lazzaro, Director of Publisher Relations at OverDrive. “It’s one more way to broaden digital content discovery and bring publishers and retailers closer together, which ultimately creates a richer experience for readers.”
OverDrive Media Station will provide an affordable option for independent and large brick-and-mortar booksellers to offer one million eBook and audiobook titles for direct sale to customers, which includes point-of-sale buying and direct integration with the retailer’s eCommerce website. In addition, OverDrive Media Station is ideal for discovery and sampling. Using touch and swipe gestures at wall-mounted or free-standing touchscreen stations, customers will have the ability to browse and instantly sample eBooks and audiobooks compatible with tablets, smartphones, PCs, and hundreds of other popular devices. The ability for readers to instantly sample the first chapters from nearly one million titles creates an enjoyable experience for buyers when shopping for “what book to read next.”
In addition to previewing its new eBook station at BEA, OverDrive will focus on how publishers and retailers can create a branded reading experience, such as PulseIt.com, Simon & Schuster’s branded teen community.
BEA conference attendees also can look forward to early results of the worldwide Big Library Readevent that began May 15 and concludes June 1. The first event of its kind, the Big Library Read invites millions of library patrons around the world to simultaneously access and read The Four Corners of the Sky, by Michael Malone. More than 7,500 libraries around the world are participating in the Big Library Read, which was organized to demonstrate the importance of libraries as a discovery channel.
