Digital Bookmobile Brings School and Library eBooks to National Stage

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - Sep 18, 2012) - National Book Festival -- As the nation's book lovers convene on the National Mall for the National Book Festival this weekend (Sept. 22 and 23), eBooks will again take center stage. Millions of students and library patrons around the country are borrowing eBooks and audiobooks from schools and libraries, and at the National Book Festival visitors will discover how to take advantage of this powerful, free resource aboard the Digital Bookmobile. The fully customized 18-wheel tractor-trailer provides interactive displays detailing how to borrow eBooks and more on smartphones, tablets, eReaders and other devices. The Digital Bookmobile is powered by OverDrive, which provides eBook-lending platforms to more than 19,000 public and school libraries worldwide.

Founded in 2000 by First Lady Laura Bush and hosted by the Library of Congress, the National Book Festival is an annual celebration of books and reading. The festival's 2012 lineup includes bestselling authors Mario Vargas Llosa, T.C. Boyle, Geraldine Brooks, Patricia Cornwell, Jeffrey Eugenides and many more. Readers can find eBooks and audiobooks by these authors -- as well as many of the Library of Congress' "Books That Shaped America" -- on the Digital Bookmobile and at their public library by visiting their library's website or search.overdrive.com.

Thousands of OverDrive-powered libraries throughout the United States and around the world offer readers vast collections of popular eBooks and audiobooks compatible with all major eReading devices, including iPad®, Nook® and Kindle® (U.S. only). OverDrive serves more than 250 public libraries in the Washington, D.C. area alone. With more than two-thirds of U.S. public libraries participating in the OverDrive network, more than 87 percent of the U.S. population has access to eBooks and audiobooks via OverDrive. Worldwide, readers checked out more than 34 million eBooks and audiobooks with OverDrive in the first half of 2012 -- more than double 2011's totals.

Now, the eBook trend is accelerating in schools, with millions of students returning to classrooms this fall with tablets, eReaders and smartphones. The OverDrive network now includes more than 2,000 schools serving more than 2 million students, and the distributor's K-12 roster has tripled in the past eight months. "Students and teachers are embracing the eBook revolution in a big way," says Steve Potash, OverDrive CEO. "And schools are benefiting from the huge success in eBook lending that public libraries have enjoyed over the past decade."

OverDrive supplies its Next Generation eBook platform to more than 19,000 libraries, schools and retailers worldwide with support for all major computers and devices, including iPhone®, iPad®, Nook®, Android™ phones and tablets, and Kindle® (U.S. only). To find a library near you, visit search.overdrive.com.

About the Digital Bookmobile
The Digital Bookmobile is a high-tech update of the traditional bookmobile that has served communities for decades. The 74-foot-long, 18-wheel tractor-trailer creates an engaging experience for readers and raises awareness for eBook-lending programs at libraries and schools throughout North America. The vehicle is equipped with broadband Internet-connected PCs, high-definition monitors, premium sound systems and a variety of eReading devices.

About OverDrive
OverDrive is a leading multichannel digital distributor of eBooks, digital audiobooks, music and video. We deliver secure management, DRM protection and download fulfillment services for hundreds of publishers and thousands of libraries, schools and retailers, serving millions of end users. OverDrive has been named to the EContent 100 as a company that matters most in the digital content industry. Founded in 1986, OverDrive is based in Cleveland. www.overdrive.com