Action for Libraries
Kansas OverDrive Program a Winner
By Eric Hansen, Director, Statewide Resource Sharing, Kansas State Library
The State Library of Kansas brings a new digital library product to all Kansans with its statewide
shared service called Audiobooks, Music and More! The service offers OverDrive downloadable audio
books and music at kansas.lib.overdrive.com/ to anyone with a Kansas library card (www.kslc.org/).
The state library funded the initial setup cost for our OverDrive Web site, pays the site's monthly maintenance fee, put $25,000 into an Opening Day Collection and purchased MARC records for all titles. Contribution to the collection is voluntary and includes more than 50 public libraries, regional systems of cooperating libraries, schools, school districts and two- and four-year colleges. For the complete list, see Contributing Libraries at kansas.lib.overdrive.com/.
Contributing libraries can put forth any amount of funds to purchase titles, and they make their own selection decisions. The only requirement is that they agree to make the titles they purchase available to anyone with a Kansas library card (www.kslc.org/). This creates a statewide virtual collection available to any Kansas resident. If an individual library cares to integrate its own patron database with OverDrive for authentication with its library's borrowers' card the library is free to do so, but must pay the integration fee to OverDrive.
Prior to our public launch, the Kansas State Library arranged for OverDrive online training sessions for library and school contributors to learn how to select and purchase titles and for three weekly training sessions for any Kansas library worker who wanted to learn how OverDrive works for users. Both kinds of training sessions were archived for sharing with those unable to participate in the real-time sessions, but wanted be informed.
Our service launched on May 1 with events throughout the state. Pictures from the launch events are on our blog at audio-books-music-and-more.blogspot.com/. The blog also lists questions and answers from our users about how the service works. Since its public debut on May 1, we have had 3,975 checkouts for an average of about 78 per day. Our statewide collection development committee set our checkout time at 14 days, short of the default 21 days, to allow for more rapid title turnover and minimize wait times. We currently have 661 patrons on the waiting list with an average wait time of about eight days. Our collection now totals 1,379 titles (959 audiobooks, 420 music titles), and we will add e-books to this list soon.
State Librarian Christie Brandau has this to say about Audiobooks, Music and More!: "This is a great way to demonstrate how libraries lead technology innovation while providing a service our patrons will really use. Our books will be especially popular with commuters because the technology is so easy and portable."
Users are impressed with the service; here are some comments: "I guess I should call myself a voracious reader. Right now I have 10 books checked out and can't get more, but I have listened to all of them. I usually listen the day I get them or the day after. So rather than a complaint, please view my note in 'I love it and want more,' category. Thanks again."
"Thank you for the information about your new e-audio service. The site looks fantastic!"
Kansas librarians have good things to say about it too: "We have had a great response to this program. I get compliments and inquiries daily on this new service."
"After the library had the OverDrive training, I checked out a book and am currently listening to it on my mp3 player. It works great!!!"