OverDrive announces new APIs for Library Circulation

Last year we introduced the initial set of OverDrive APIs that enable approved vendors to deeply integrate OverDrive-hosted catalogs and nearly 1 million digital titles with their apps and platforms. These included the ability to access catalog metadata, see availability of a title and search the library's collection.   Today, we are excited to announce that the all-new Circulation APIs are available on the OverDrive Developer Portal. The Circulation APIs will allow approved partners to request checkouts, downloads, holds, and returns from within their own discovery interface. This means users will now be able to browse and search their library's digital collection, see what's available and check out a title or place a hold all without ever leaving the library OPAC.   Critical to this new technology is OverDrive’s Patron Authentication API which will enable partners who can authenticate patrons to interact with OverDrive services to execute circulations and to acquire OverDrive account details (i.e., “bookshelves”) about their patrons. This means that patrons will also be able to access their OverDrive accounts, again, while remaining at their library's website, alongside all of the other materials on their library account.   You can expect to see these enhancements in your vendors' products in the coming weeks and months. As a reminder, libraries and vendors can apply for use of our API's at the OverDrive Developer Portal.   Adam Sockel is a Marketing Communications Specialist with OverDrive

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