King County Library System to Launch Expanded eBook Collection; Best-Selling eBooks to be Available for Download to PCs and PDAs

Business Wire, May 7, 2003

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

ISSAQUAH, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 7, 2003

King County Library System, one of the largest library systems in the U.S., has partnered with OverDrive, Inc., to develop an eBook collection that will allow patrons to checkout and download titles to their personal PCs, Tablet PCs and PDA handheld devices -- 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The King County Library System (KCLS) includes 42 libraries that serve more than one million residents outside the City of Seattle.

The expanded eBook collection supports the KCLS vision of "We Make it Easy" and "One System," with the goal of continually providing superior, convenient and quality services.

"We have been waiting for years to add eBooks to our collection and now they are finally here," said Bill Ptacek, Director, King County Library System. "eBooks are another alternative to provide stories, information and content to our patrons in a way that best fits their needs."

Through technology from Microsoft, Adobe Systems, Inc. and Palm Digital Media, KCLS patrons will have access to thousands of best-selling eBooks on the System's Web site, www.kcls.org. The eBook collection will contain popular titles in a variety of subjects and genres.

Patrons will be able to checkout and download titles to their personal PCs and PDA devices for offline, "anytime" reading. At the end of the checkout period, the eBook title will automatically be checked back in and become immediately available for lending. If a particular eBook is not available, a library cardholder can place a hold on the title and be added to a waiting list. The patron will receive an automatic e-mail with a direct link to the title when it becomes available.

"KCLS wants to provide our users with the opportunity to explore and learn how to use new formats and information technologies," said Bruce Schauer, Collection Management Services Director, King County Library System. "eBooks will do all this and more. Patrons will be able to borrow, read and return a book without having to leave their home, and the automatic return feature means no fine."

"The KCLS eBook collection will enable King County residents of all ages to have increased access and mobility to popular eBooks for offline reading on PCs, Tablet PCs and PDAs," said Steve Potash, CEO and President, OverDrive. "We're excited to be involved in the deployment of this system which will provide a valuable platform for eReading from home, office, school and through wireless devices," Mr. Potash continued.

The KCLS eBook collection is expected to launch later this summer.

About King County Library System

The King County Library System (KCLS) is one of the largest circulating libraries in the United States. The Library System includes 42 community libraries, a Traveling Library Center, a Techlab and three library institutions. Nearly 1.3 million residents utilize the vast resources of KCLS, with over 14 million items having been checked out and more than 22 million hits to the KCLS Web site (www.kcls.org) in 2002.

About OverDrive, Inc.

OverDrive (www.overdrive.com) provides digital media solutions for leading retailers, publishers and libraries in the US and abroad including Barnesandnoble.com, HarperCollins Publishers, Random House, McGraw-Hill, WHSmith and others. OverDrive is a strategic partner to Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), Adobe Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE) and Palm Digital Media, a business unit of Palm, Inc. (NASDAQ: PALM). The company is a Gold Sponsor of the Open eBook Forum. OverDrive was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.