eBook Leaders Team to Provide Digital Lending to Small to Midsized Libraries
Press release from the issuing company
CLEVELAND--Jan. 23, 2003--OverDrive, Inc., (www.overdrive.com) a world leader in digital media services, and Fictionwise, Inc. (www.fictionwise.com), one of the world's leading eBook retailers, have formed an alliance to provide affordable eBook lending solutions to small and independent libraries.
Under terms of the agreement, OverDrive will provide premium content and digital rights management services to Fictionwise for use in their Libwise product (www.libwise.com). Patrons of libraries using Libwise will be able to download eBooks to either a PC or any popular handheld devices such as Palm, PocketPC, WinCE, Psion, and even some Nokia cell phones. The agreement also includes a co-marketing alliance between the two companies to reach the library market.
Steve Pendergrast, co-founder of Fictionwise said, "Our partnership with OverDrive will give our Libwise customers the ability to choose from thousands of top titles to offer to their patrons. OverDrive has done an exceptional job of bringing the titles consumers want to the world of eBooks, and their extension of this effort to the library eBook market is crucial for industry growth."
Steve Potash, CEO of OverDrive said, "Fictionwise has developed a very cost effective product that makes it practical for any size library to establish a full-featured eBook lending site packed with thousands of best-selling titles from OverDrive's Content Reserve." He added: "The OverDrive-Fictionwise alliance will extend thousands of best-selling eBooks titles and leading digital rights management technology further into the library marketplace."
Earlier this year OverDrive introduced Digital Library Reserve, a digital media repository which has already gained the support of leading publishers and will be initially deployed by Cleveland Public Library.