Leading digital library service provider OverDrive this week announced plans to release a new suite of “custom outreach tools, data reporting dashboards, and catalog management services” the company says will help librarians serve and engage their patrons more efficiently.
Dubbed the “OverDrive Hub” the new services will include two new components called Newsroom and The Loop. Newsroom will enable librarians to create and share news with patrons via OverDrive’s Libby app, such as service announcements, branch updates, author events, surveys, fundraising activities, and other library programs. It will also include a feature to post “shelf talkers” for specific titles or shelves. The Loop, meanwhile, is designed to offer librarians “a feedback loop” based on a library's “aggregated and anonymized” digital library data and analytics.
In addition, OverDrive Marketplace will add a new “One Shop” collection development tool that will display all available lending models and prices for titles or series to streamline informed selection. Additional development will also include “new workflows for managing metered accessed materials, patron insights, account-level weeding” and more.
“The OverDrive Hub will provide librarians new ways to connect with their patrons as well as deliver insights into patron engagement with their digital collection,” said David Burleigh, OverDrive’s Director of Communications. “Libby becomes an even more valuable extension of each library, and these tools will empower librarians to create campaigns for specific collections, promote author or community reading events and super-charge fundraising or advocacy programs.”
OverDrive officials say the new tools and services will be released in phases later this year. For more information about OverDrive Hub services and updates, librarians can visit the OverDrive at the Public Library Association Conference (Booth #1337) next week (March 23-25, 2022).
