It’s been just over a year since OverDrive added Project Gutenberg eBooks to its content offerings (and only a few weeks since the PG eBooks became available outside the US), and they’ve proved very popular.

OverDrive released a list today that summarized the 25 most commonly downloaded Project Gutenberg eBooks.You can find the complete list over on the OO blog, and here are the top 5 titles.

1. The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana by Vatsyayana
2. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
3. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
4. The Best American Humorous Short Stories
5. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

The most interesting detail about this list isn’t the titles on it. No, this list is curious because it is so very similar to Project Gutenberg’s own list of popular titles. There are very many names in common, and they are even in the same order. I would have expected to see more differences between the 2 lists. After all, library patrons and visitors to the PG website don’t necessarily have much in common.

BTW, what sets these ebooks apart is that OverDrive helps libraries host and share the PG eBooks, but it doesn’t sell them. The eBooks are free to download and do not have DRM.

via OverDrive

image by prettydaisies

OverDrive announced this week that it had expanded its free library eBook program to include hundreds of partner libraries in Australia and Canada.

It’s a little surprising to hear of the expansion this week; it was one year ago yesterday that Overdrive started offering the PG titles to its member libraries here in the USA. Expansion seems to have taken a while.

Participating libraries can now add any of tens of thousands of public domain eBooks to their collections. The eBooks will be downloaded in DRM-free Epub and will cost the libraries nothing. It’s just one more service overdrive offers.

via OverDrive

OverDrive released a new training program this week in its Learning Center, and teachers might want to take note.

Education Evolution is a video with tips on how teachers and school staff can better integrate OverDrive’s digital content with their existing lesson plans. It will help explain how to use interactive white boards and reading circles as creative ways to get your students excited about eBooks. The video also covers basic outreach ideas like  a demonstration table or an end-of-the-day assembly to show off the eBook library.

Like all OverDrive videos, this one is freely available for all to watch. The videos are open to the general public, library staff, or anyone who might be interested in licensing OverDrive content. I would bet that this one will also be useful to anyone who wants to use digital content as part of a lesson plan, not just Overdrive’s.

via OverDrive

OverDrive held Digipalooza, its annual conference, in Cleveland this past weekend and it looks like some interesting hints may have been dropped about the coming library ebook support for the Kindle.

There were no official announcements, but Steve Potash, the CEO of OverDrive was described in ways that would suggest he had a secret that he couldn’t wait to share. He didn’t give out any even vague info, but when asked about the Kindle library eBooks he is reported to have said: “soon” and, “I’m not allowed to announce a date yet.”

In other news, Steve used the closing session of Digipalooza to discuss OverDrive’s plans to enhance its services as part of the new WIN platform. Library Patrons will soon be able to request a digital title that a library doesn’t carry yet, and they’ll be able to buy it themselves if they don’t want to wait.

via Early Word

OverDrive kicked off the 2011 national tour of its Digital Bookmobile today. The first stop was a library near Cleveland, OH, Overdrive’s home town.

The Cuyahoga County Public Library is only the first of 50 stops planned for Digital Bookmobile.  It will also be showing off OverDrive’s digital library offerings at libraries in Indiana, Texas, Virginia, and elsewhere. It will also be making an appearance at the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. on September 24 and 25. The final schedule hasn’t been set, but it looks like the Digital Bookmobile will be on the road for the next 3 or more months.

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OverDrive has put in a big push for BEA and has released updates for its apps on all platforms. The OverDrive Media Console is available for Android, iOS, and Blackberry. These apps, initially released over the last 9 months, allow you to checkout eBooks and audiobooks from your local library.

The update brings minor but measurable improvements to the user experience. OverDrive works with over 13 thousand libraries in many different countries around the world. It’s the leading

via OverDrive