From an OverDrive press release: OverDrive’s Digital Bookmobile (www.digitalbookmobile.com) will demonstrate digital book downloads available from America’s public libraries at the 2010 National Book Festival (www.loc.gov/bookfest) on Saturday, September 25, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on the National Mall in Washington, DC. This high-tech 18-wheeler and mobile exhibit offers hands-on demonstrations of download services [...]

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From an O’Reilly Media press release: For years O’Reilly Media has supplied digital files of our books to Bookshare, a non-profit that provides accessible reading material to the print disabled. For qualifying readers, these ebooks are made available worldwide. And now, through a collaboration with Bookshare, we’ve started making the easy-access DAISY (Digital Accessible Information [...]

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EBSCO Publishing recently announced the added feature of text-to-speech support for all EBSCOhost® databases. The read aloud function is available at no cost through technology from Texthelp Systems. The functionality allows users to read along while a human-sounding voice speaks the text on the screen. Users have the ability to read-aloud by selected text, sentence, [...]

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Overdrive conducted a study of public library users of audiobooks, surveying 5 of their busiest sites.  The results concluded that audiobook listeners were: 74% of users are female, between the ages of 30-59. Nearly 70% have a college and/or postgraduate degree. 60% learned about the download service from the library’s website (if our past blog [...]

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Here’s what I’ve been reading (and listening to) this week: In E-Publishing Revolution, Rights Battle Wears On : NPR How to self-publish an e-book – CNET News How will ebookstores earn your loyalty? New gov’t rules allow unapproved iPhone apps LibriVox – free audiobooks in the public domain Upstart E-readers Fade to Black as Tablets [...]

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I attended the Digital Book World/Aptara webinar today -eBooks vs. Apps:  The Pros, Cons, and Possibilities.  My notes are below, summarizing the content.  Very interesting webinar and some really good content, eye opening for a librarian to see what features are being discussed for enhanced ebooks, brings back memories of interfaces past and present.  Slides [...]

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Last Saturday while exploring the ALA Annual exhibit hall, I had the chance to sit down and chat with Steve Potash, CEO of OverDrive.  There is always so much going on with OverDrive, and the interview highlights so much of this.  Have a listen. Interviews with Steve Potash and over 20 other individuals are available [...]

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One More Story, an online library of classic children’s literature, is offering 3-month home subscriptions for $15.00. The collection features over 60 titles from 10 publishers, including many Caldecott Award titles.  Children can see, hear, and read the books, each with personal narration and custom music.  Read along features highlight words in the text.  Stellaluna, [...]

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Red Chair Press and Ripple Readers have joined efforts to bring a series of 12 humorous children’s books together with the ability to record your own voice.   FUNNY BONE READERS is, according to the press release,  “the first safe and free eBook reader for kids.”  Families have the opportunity to purchase the stories as digital [...]

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Wow, great news for those of us with Apple devices.  OverDrive announced today the availability of their free app – OverDrive Media Console for iPhone – in the iTunes store.  Users can now download audiobooks (from their local library or a retail site) via wireless network directly to their Apple device.  I am very excited [...]

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