400,000+ Digital Books from 3,000 Publishers Now Available in Flexible Library Access Model
OverDrive announced today at the London Book Fair that more than 400,000 digital ebook and audiobook titles are now available in the “OverDrive Max” access model. Available in OverDrive Marketplace, the world’s largest catalog for school and library digital book sales, OverDrive Max was specifically designed to provide greater flexibility and value for library budgets to meet the increased demand for digital books. It is quickly becoming the fastest growing sales model for authors and publishers seeking to maximize their revenue from institutional buyers.
OverDrive Max enables libraries to purchase bundles of up to 100 loans for specific titles for lending with flexibility for concurrent use based on patron demand with no expiration date, often at the lowest cost. This month OverDrive launched a six-month OverDrive Max pilot of over 150 high-demand HarperCollins titles. Titles include selections popular with readers and book clubs such as The Boardwalk Bookshop by Susan Mallery, The Round House by Louise Erdrich and popular reads for kids with titles in the Warriors series from Erin Hunter and Big Nate series from Lincoln Pierce among others.
“I love this model not only for its cost-efficiency and its ability to eliminate long wait lists, but also because it’s great for book clubs and students of all ages,” said Elizabeth Taylor, Librarian at Pima County Public Library in Arizona. “Every time it’s an available option, I vigorously click the ‘Add to Cart’ button. Without question, OverDrive Max is my absolute favorite lending model and I wish it was available for more titles.”
Alexis Petric-Black, Director of Publisher Account Services at OverDrive, added, “OverDrive Max is becoming the preferred method for libraries’ digital book purchasing, with Los Angeles Public Library and Cuyahoga County Public Library in Ohio leading the trend. As a result, publishers enabling OverDrive Max increase sales opportunities, and we’re delighted that HarperCollins is engaging in a pilot joining many other leading publishers including Abrams Books, RBmedia and Blackstone Publishing who have added OverDrive Max as a standard access model.”
Notable 2023 additions to the OverDrive Max access model include the full catalog from Abrams Books, including the Dairy of the Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney; Garfield, Peanuts and Lumberjanes comics from BOOM! Studios; A Thief Among the Trees from Sabaa Tahir; popular romance from Marie Harte, and many more. Initially launched in 2020, the OverDrive Max collection grew significantly in 2022 with the addition of catalogs from Berrett-Koehler, Carson Dellosa, Dreamscape Media and independent publishers partnering with IPG.
“The OverDrive Max access model cuts down on wait times, supports library book clubs and ensures we offer a great collection of ‘available now’ titles for patrons to peruse,” said Sandra Breedlove, Digital Selection Librarian at Sonoma County Library in California. “The flexibility and low cost per checkout allow us to meet our patrons’ needs while staying within budget.”
OverDrive provides libraries the unique ability to mix and match multiple access models to best meet both their budget and their community’s demands. OverDrive Max is the fastest growing of the six available access models due to its increased flexibility and affordability. This access model is presented as an option alongside the One Copy One User option in Marketplace.
Librarians and publishers attending the London Book Fair at Olympia London from April 18-20 can meet with OverDrive representatives at stand 2D88 to learn more about OverDrive Max and other offerings. Publishers interested in learning more or adding the model can also contact their OverDrive Account Manager.
For more information about OverDrive, visit company.overdrive.com.
