Tuesday, November 12, 2013

OverDrive Media Station Now Widely Available

overdrive-media-station

Launched in fifty libraries at the beginning of this year as part of a pilot program, OverDrive’s Media Station allows library patrons to employ the in-library ebook, audiobook, music and video sampling and checkout terminal. Today, the world’s largest distributor of digital content to academic and public libraries announced the Media Stations are widely available to their member libraries.

"The OverDrive Media Station has been really well received by our patrons. It's rarely unoccupied," said Jennifer Simon Halai, Librarian, Virtual Library Services at KCLS, in a press release. "During the day, adults are the dominant users, but after school and in the evenings, it's the kids and teens who are engaging with it, usually with a smartphone or tablet in hand."

According to OverDrive, the Media Station “enables libraries to showcase to the millions of in-library patrons their entire OverDrive digital catalog, including eBooks, audiobooks, music and video. Experienced or new users can browse, search and sample any of the media they find with the swipe of a finger. Patrons can instantly (without cables or pre-installed apps) send a link to any title from OverDrive Media Station to their favorite device for checkout using a QR code, email or text message (SMS).”

The Media Stations serve as a sampling portal that lets users try out content, as well as enhances the digital checkout process. This type of interactive interface is especially important for libraries whose patrons are still adjusting to the option to checkout ebooks and MP3 audiobooks, a concept that is still new to so many library users. OverDrive showcased the Media Station at several publishing events this year and has opened the platform to all libraries.

OverDrive Media Station Now Widely Available is a post from: E-Reader News

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