OverDrive’s Next Generation Websites Now Live at 22 Libraries

Earlier today we learned that 3M Cloud Library and Polaris were announcing the release of an integrated ebook catalog (3M Cloud into a Polaris OPAC installation) at the Baltimore County Public Library. You can take a look here.
This afternoon we’ve heard from OverDrive who blogged that their next generation websites were now live in 22 libraries including the Hennepin County Library (not far from 3M’s HQ (-:, the Pima County Public Library in Tucson, and the Ohio eBook Project.
OverDrive also said that some libraries who have been using the next-gen site have seen increased usage and page views.

• Dayton Public Library: 22% more time on site, viewing 22% more pages

• In the first 2.5 days the Public Library of Cincinnati And Hamilton County (Ohio) has seen sample excerpts are up 93%

• Chapel Hill Public Library, Greensboro Public Library, Hickory Public Library (North Carolina Digital Library) has seen significant increases in page views (15%), time on site (18%), visits (10%), and sample excerpts (35%).

Of course it’s possible that some percentage of the increases being seen are due to the system being new. In other words, both library users and library staff are visiting the new sites and learning how they work, identifying what’s news, user confusion vs. what they have seen before, etc.
The blog post also contains a hyperlinked list of the 22 OverDrive Next Generation installations that are live online.
What does an OverDrive’s Next Generation site offer the user? Here’s the “What’s New” page linked on each next-gen site. One feature (as expected) is in browser reading. Earlier this year OverDrive acquired Booki.sh, a tech firm that was offering a web-based ereading solution.
See Also: New Video From OverDrive Provides More Info About Next Generation Platform (November 29, 2012)
See Also: OverDrive’s CEO Steve Potash Outlines Upcoming “Service Enhancements” (September 6, 2012)

Filed under: Digital Collections, Interactive Tools, Libraries, News, Patrons and Users, Public Libraries