Interleaf Technology, a technology provider for library services, announced today that its e-books and audio books solution, OverDrive, is seeing continued growth in Irish public libraries.
OverDrive is a full-service digital distributor of downloadable e-books, audio books and other digital content, which is now used in 10 county libraries across Ireland. This content is compatible with all major desktop and mobile devices, including iOS, Android, BlackBerry and Windows devices.
After Amazon and Google, OverDrive is the world’s third-largest provider of e-books and audio books, with more than 800,000 titles from more than 1,000 publishers, including selections from Random House, HarperCollins, BBC Audiobooks America and Harlequin.
Worldwide, the service is used by more than 15,000 libraries, schools and colleges, and Bray-based Interleaf Technology, the sole Irish distributor of OverDrive, has brought it to Cork City, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal, Kildare, Leitrim Longford, Meath, Offaly, South Dublin and Waterford City libraries. The service is also used by the National Council for the Blind.
Interleaf Technology director Charles Quain puts the popularity of the service down to growth in the tablet market. “Morgan Stanley expects the global tablet PC market to reach 133m in 2012 and 216m in 2013. With the accelerated tablet growth, e-book library usage has also grown,” he said.
“This is particularly noticeable over the summer months, as people download books to bring on holidays. It certainly helps with low-cost airlines’ luggage weight allowance!”
Image of e-books via Shutterstock
