New digital product enables easy access to the unique power of audiobooks

 

Charlotte, NC – November 5, 2009 – OverDrive (www.overdrive.com), the leading provider of eBooks and audiobooks to libraries and schools, today announced a new in-school service that allows K-12 schools to provide unprecedented access to the unique power of audiobooks. AudioBook Classroom™ (www.audiobookclassroom.com) gives schools the ability to offer 1,001 assigned and recreational reading titles in 29 subjects on any computer that is connected to a school’s network. Each title is always available for simultaneous use by all students and can be played on the computer or transferred to iPod® and other MP3 players. OverDrive will demonstrate AudioBook Classroom at the American Association of School Librarians conference (Booth #911) in Charlotte, NC, Nov. 5-7, 2009.

AudioBook Classroom’s collection of 1,001 audiobooks includes contemporary titles, such as “The Soloist” and the “Guardians of Ga’Hoole” series, as well as essential classics, such as “The Great Gatsby,” “Paradise Lost,” “Little Women,” and “Beowulf.” Titles come in 29 subjects, including American and world history, poetry, literature, biography, sociology, and economics.

“The AudioBook Classroom collection benefits both students and the school with a cost-effective way to provide easy access to audiobooks for all reading levels,” said David Burleigh, director of marketing for OverDrive. “Audiobooks on all school computers and iPod can motivate reluctant readers, help develop vocabulary, introduce titles above reading level, and give busy students a convenient way to read the books they need and want.”

AudioBook Classroom’s attractive, user-friendly interface on network-connected computers lets students easily browse the collection and begin listening to an audiobook in seconds. Students may also transfer titles to a personal MP3 player or iPod. Schools won’t ever need to replace damaged audiobook players or CDs or worry about shelf space because AudioBook Classroom is installed on the network. AudioBook Classroom currently supports computers featuring Windows® XP or greater, with a Mac® version coming soon.

OverDrive also offers School Download Library (www.schooldownloadlibrary.com), a 24/7 Internet-based service with eBooks and digital audiobooks that works with students’ personal computers at home or anywhere. Like OverDrive’s download service used by more than 9,000 libraries worldwide, School Download Library allows a school to build a custom collection of digital book titles with support for PC, Mac, Sony® Reader™, and iPod®.

To see if your public library is a member of the OverDrive network, visit http://search.overdrive.com. OverDrive also operates the Digital Bookmobile (www.digitalbookmobile.com), a high-tech 18-wheeler traveling North America on behalf of public libraries to raise awareness about free library downloads.

 

About OverDrive
OverDrive is a leading full-service digital distributor of eBooks, 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. Founded in 1986, OverDrive is based in Cleveland, OH. www.overdrive.com

Contact:
David Burleigh
OverDrive, Inc.
216-573-6886 x218
dburleigh@OverDrive.com

 

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