OverDrive and community partners to host
experiential and immersive events showcasing the transformative
power of libraries
CLEVELAND, July 9, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Today, the leading brands in digital content for
libraries and schools, including Libby, Sora, and Kanopy, announced
the launch of "Check Out Your Library." This multiyear experiential
initiative aims to establish new connections between millions of
Americans and the invaluable resources available from their local
public and school libraries. Check Out Your Library will seek to
reverse the recent decline in patron visits to their local
libraries that resulted from closures throughout the pandemic.
OverDrive, the company behind Libby, Sora, and Kanopy, is
encouraging everyone to explore everything their local libraries
offer—from free lunches for students and seniors, career resources
and maker spaces, to musical instruments and power tools.
OverDrive's Library Vehicle, "LV" (previously known as the
Digital Bookmobile) has been reimagined and updated as it embarks
on a coast-to-coast Fiction and Film tour in collaboration with
local libraries to promote the diverse offerings and life-changing
power of libraries.
Already planned are 20+ tour stops across the nation including
Marquee Events with ongoing digital programs and promotional
activities. The inaugural Check Out Your Library event will take
place at AREA15, an immersive entertainment district in
Las Vegas, on July 20, 2024. In partnership with Meow Wolf, the
Las Vegas-Clark County Library
District will host Julia Whelan,
award-winning audiobook narrator and author of My Oxford
Year and Thank You For Listening, for a Q&A and
book signing during the event.
"My local public library was a second home to me growing up — I
was always front and center at Storytime — and libraries are still
so meaningful to me," says Whelan. "I am so excited to be joining
the Check Out Your Library movement on the Fiction and Film Tour. I
love talking with book and audiobook fans. Getting to do that while
celebrating and supporting libraries? The cherry on top. I can't
wait to see everyone in Las
Vegas!"
The second Marquee Event is scheduled for August 15, 2024, at Truist Field in partnership
with the Charlotte Knights and Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and
Charlotte Mecklenburg School
District. On August 16, 2024,
comedian, actor, and New York Times
best-selling author Paul Scheer will
be at a Charlotte Mecklenburg Public Library branch promoting his
new book Joyful Recollections of Trauma. Details of the
event will be announced soon. Scheer is known for his roles in "The
League," "Black Monday," voicing Chip
Whistler in Disney's "Big City Greens," and his podcasts How
Did This Get Made and Unspooled.
At each tour stop, visitors will be invited to step inside the
LV and discover how they can check out ebooks, audiobooks,
magazines, movies, TV shows, and more for free from their library
using Libby, the library reading app, Sora, where students read,
and Kanopy, the streaming service for libraries and universities.
As streaming and subscription costs rise, these platforms empower
libraries to make digital content more accessible for their
communities.
"Listeners have thousands of hours of audiobooks for all ages at
their fingertips through their local library," says Amanda
D'Acierno, President & Publisher, Penguin Random House Audio, a
proud sponsor of Check Out Your Library. "We're thrilled to be a
part of Check Out Your Library to spotlight audiobook collections
at libraries across the country."
"So many of us have special memories surrounding our local
library. If you haven't been recently, I encourage you to check out
your library. Get a library card and explore all the terrific
resources," says Jen Leitman, Chief
Marketing Officer at OverDrive. "Along with books and digital
content, many have job and career services, maker spaces, digital
media labs, seed libraries, museum passes and so much more. And at
the heart of these programs are librarians, passionately dedicated
to making a difference in your community. Libraries are truly
special places."
To learn more about Check Out Your Library and join the
initiative, visit checkoutyourlibrary.com to discover local events
and find ways to get involved with your library. Make sure to
follow along on social media for the latest news and updates.
About OverDrive
OverDrive is a mission-based company that stands with libraries.
Named a Certified B Corp in 2017, OverDrive serves more than 92,000
libraries and schools in 115 countries with the industry's largest
digital catalog of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, video and other
content. OverDrive empowers libraries and schools by expanding
access for all through tireless industry advocacy and consistent
innovation. Award-winning apps and services include the Libby
library reading app, the Sora student reading platform, Kanopy, the
leading video streaming app for libraries and colleges, and
TeachingBooks.net, which offers one of the largest catalogs of
supplemental materials that enhance literacy outcomes. Founded in
1986, OverDrive is based in Cleveland,
Ohio USA. www.overdrive.com
Contact:
Madison Stoneburner
Marketing & Communications Specialist
mstoneburner@overdrive.com
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/check-out-your-library-campaign-to-ignite-conversation-engagement-and-love-for-public-libraries-302192290.html
SOURCE OverDrive