November 9, 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Robyn Truslow
410-535-0291

Calvert Library and Maryland’s Digital eLibrary Consortium is on a mission: Get more people to try digital reading! While they have offered eBooks and digital audiobooks to the community through their partnership with OverDrive for more than 13 years, they know that many people are still surprised to learn their library card gives them access to 24,000+ free digital titles.

Throughout the rest of this calendar year, the library is participating in OverDrive’s “Digital Dash” contest. If the state hits 2,796,255 digital checkouts by the end of the year, it will be eligible to win funds to buy more eBooks and audiobooks for the OverDrive collection. The state is at just over 80% of that goal now.

“We would love to expand our digital collection with new materials and cut down on hold times by buying more copies of our most popular titles,” said Carrie Plymire, Calvert Library Director.

The library’s digital books are free for anyone with a valid library card. Current popular titles include Dan Brown’s Origin, John Grisham’s The Rooster Bar, and this year’s One Maryland One Book winner Purple Hibiscus. Users can borrow bestsellers, classic eBooks and digital audiobooks to enjoy on smart phones, tablets, Kindles and other eReaders, MP3 players and computers. Maryland’s Digital eLibrary Consortium website also offers a dedicated space for younger readers, with a variety of juvenile and young adult titles, including a collection of STEM and homework help titles. There are never late fees with digital titles, as they return automatically at the end of the lending period.

Readers can access the library’s digital collection 24/7 by visiting https://maryland.overdrive.com/maryland-southernmarylandregional/content or by downloading the Libby app from their device’s app store. For more information, call Robyn Truslow at 410-535-0291.

About OverDrive
OverDrive is the leading digital reading platform for libraries and schools.  It is dedicated to “a world enlightened by reading” by delivering the industry’s largest catalog of eBooks, audiobooks and other digital media to a growing network of 36,000 libraries and schools in 63 countries worldwide.  Founded in 1986, OverDrive is based in Cleveland, Ohio, and owned by Tokyo-based Rakuten.  www.overdrive.com

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