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Weekly News Digest
November 9, 2009 — In addition to this week's NewsBreak(s), the editors have compiled the Weekly News Digest, featuring stories from the week just past that you should know about. Watch for additional coverage to appear in the next print issue of Information Today. CLICK HERE to view all of this week's Weekly News Digest items.

OverDrive Brings Audiobook Access to Schools

OverDrive, Inc. (www.overdrive.com), a provider of ebooks and audiobooks to libraries and schools, announced the launch of its AudioBook Classroom service (www.audiobookclassroom.com), which allows K-12 schools to provide cost-effective access to a sizable catalog of audiobooks of many different genres and varieties. AudioBook Classroom gives schools the ability to offer 1,001 assigned and recreational reading titles in 29 subjects on any computer that is connected to a school's network. Each title is always available for simultaneous use by all students and can be played on the computer or transferred to an iPod and other MP3 players.

AudioBook Classroom's user-friendly interface on network-connected computers lets students easily browse the collection and begin listening to an audiobook in seconds. AudioBook Classroom currently supports computers featuring Windows XP or greater, with a Mac version coming soon.

OverDrive also offers School Download Library (www.schooldownloadlibrary.com), a 24/7 internet-based service offering ebooks and digital audiobooks. The software works with students' personal computers at home or anywhere. Like OverDrive's download service, which is used by more than 9,000 libraries worldwide, School Download Library allows a school to build a custom collection of digital book titles with support for PCs, Mac, Sony Reader, and iPod.

To see if your public library is a member of the OverDrive network, visit http://search.overdrive.com. OverDrive also operates the Digital Bookmobile (www.digitalbookmobile.com), a high-tech 18-wheeler traveling North America on behalf of public libraries to raise awareness about free library downloads.

Source: OverDrive, Inc.