Children's, Young Adult & International Titles Represent Fastest Growing Segments in Library & School eBook Catalogs

CLEVELAND, OH--(Marketwire - Aug 8, 2012) - OverDrive's industry-leading catalog of eBooks and audiobooks topped 1 million titles in July, with surging demand for eBooks and new publisher partnerships driving unprecedented growth. The fastest growing segments, Children's/Young Adult and International (including popular non-English content), signal exceptional expansion opportunities in library and school markets in the U.S. and overseas. Every day throughout OverDrive's growing network of 19,000 libraries, schools, retailers and device manufacturers (OEMs), millions of readers in 20 countries enjoy popular titles from bestselling authors on Kindle® (U.S. only), iPad®, Nook™, iPhone® and all major eReading devices.

"In time for 'Back to School,' and in response to global demand for eBooks, we're enriching our catalog with even more popular and diverse content," said Erica Lazzaro, general counsel and head of publisher relations at OverDrive. "Each week, we're adding new publishers offering thousands of new titles -- with a particular focus recently on Children's, Young Adult, and foreign-language genres -- and this broad digital content is reaching millions of readers through our channels."

OverDrive has recently reached eBook distribution agreements with a wide-ranging group of publishers and digital book aggregators, which join its industry-leading roster of more than 1,000 publishers in 52 languages, including Random House, HarperCollins, Pottermore, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Orca Books, Saddleback, Sourcebooks and Disney Digital Books. New publishers signed in 2012 include:

Holiday House: A favorite publisher for young people, offering popular titles to libraries.

Mango Languages: A fast-growing publisher of foreign language learning materials for libraries and schools.

Kids Can Press: Publishes Paulette Bourgeois' classic Franklin the Turtle in eBook formats.

Amicus Publishing: Offers creative learning materials for young readers, including popular nonfiction leveled eBooks like "Simple Machines" and "What's It Like To Be a Bee?".

Kodansha (Japan): Largest Japanese publisher offers thousands of popular titles via libraries and retailers.