Tag Archives: OverDrive

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Overdrive.com opportunity

overdrivelogonew
eBooks!

CMLE Elementary School Libraries in a Title 1 school:

Here is some potentially interesting information from Overdrive.com on eBook donations! Below is a press release they have issued. You may be receiving this directly from them; but to be sure no one is overlooked, we are copying it here for you. There is an application to fill out (linked below). If you have questions, you can contact Overdrive; if you need some assistance with the form, or want to talk about ideas contact us at CMLE Headquarters and we can help! (We are available to assist with any grant applications!)

See if this is right for you and your school. We will share other offers and grant opportunities periodically on this site; and we put all the grants we find on our Grants and Awards calendar. Check it every so often to see if there are opportunities for you to get money and/or awards! CMLE Headquarters is always available to help you with the applications, or to help you think through the process of applying.

Here are the FAQs for the program:

Who can apply for this program?

Any adult who works in a Title 1 (or Title 1 eligible) school can apply.  You must apply for each school individually.

What happens after I submit my application?

OverDrive will review your application and contact you if your school is selected to receive one year of free K5 Quickstart access.

What grade levels is this intended for?

The K5 Quickstart program is intended for schools serving students in Grades K through 8.

What will this cost my school?

Nothing! There are no purchase or future commitments required to receive your one year of free K5 Quickstart access. Continue reading Overdrive.com opportunity →

General, School Media Specialist

Follett announces integration with OverDrive, Mackin

325/365 ThanksgivingSue Polanka recently highlighted an announcement from Follett about their Destiny product. At the AASL Conference, Follett said that soon students and teachers won’t have to log into each separate product once they were logged into Destiny. Polanka explained the integration:

“The product integrations ensure that once users have logged into Destiny, they can access OverDrive or MackinVIA content without being presented with another separate login prompt from those vendors’ platforms. Students and staff can easily access the content from Destiny with a single click of a consistent open button, further negating the need to remember multiple usernames and passwords.”

It seems an unlikely partnership, but all parties involved are on board. This is an exciting announcement for Destiny users!

Read the whole post from Polanka now.

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Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Rakuten Buys Overdrive!

ReadYou may have seen this news by now, but what is unclear is what does this really mean?

Lets consider the scale and reach of Rakuten Inc., one of the world’s largest Internet services companies. Rakuten has been on a buying spree in recent years to reduce reliance on its home market in Japan and push into the U.S. and other countries.

  • In October 2014 it bought U.S. discount store Ebates.com for about $1 billion.
  • Rakuten bought Kobo Inc, a Canadian eBook company in 2011 for $315 million, in “phase 1” of its eBook business as it allows consumers to buy eBooks.
  • Chat and calling app Viber is another of Rakuten’s most prominent acquisitions; bought for $900 million in 2014.
  • And now, of most interest to Minnesota libraries, Rakuten is purchasing  OverDrive from Insight Venture Partners for $410 million and as part of “phase 2” of its eBook business. The acquisition of OverDrive, which currently offers eBook rental services to U.S. libraries and schools, is expected to be completed in April.
  • Since 2012, Rakuten (http://global.rakuten.com) has been ranked among the world’s “Top 20 Most Innovative Companies” in Forbes magazine.
  • Going forward, Kobo and OverDrive will work together to enhance their abilities to deliver world-class digital content and reading technology services.
  •  Rakuten is also an investor in Pinterest and ride sharing service Lyft. There are many, many more companies Rakuten has acquired recently. Read the full post here.

It is unclear at this time what this acquisition will mean to Minnesota libraries and in some cases, schools too. Will current Overdrive contract terms stay the same? Stay tuned for the constantly evolving world of eBooks!

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/lw8nkjr, licensed under CC BY 2.0

 

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Top 10 OverDrive FAQs

OverDriveNow that OverDrive no longer charges an annual fee, more schools are thinking of making the move to use it.  This would give K-12 students a common eBook user experience between the school and the public library.  Carrie Smith of OverDrive Blogs has compiled their top ten questions into one nifty blog post, OverDrive’s 10 most frequently asked questions.  From ‘how to get started’ to ‘how to get titles on a specific device,’ this post is your one-stop shop for OverDrive basics!

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Has OverDrive Gone Too Far?

Wait, where am I again?Once again, OverDrive is changing the rules, and the ReadersFirst Coalition of libraries are protesting! According to OverDrive, the improvements to the OverDrive app are in direct response to what libraries have been asking for, an easier user experience. While the good news is that the app would no longer require users to register for an Adobe ID (to navigate the DRM), new users would have to register with OverDrive for an account. Let me repeat….the twist  going forward for new OverDrive app users, including library patrons, will be a registration step with OverDrive. This shifts the eBook relationship that has been between the library and the patron, over to OverDrive! The devil is in the details, so read the full blog post for more important information.

What do you think…..who owns the customer relationship, libraries, or the vendors they pay for content?

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/mm5huga, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0