OverDrive is working on a project that could ultimately enable the company to convert PDFs and other file formats into the industry-standard EPUB format for ebooks, without significant loss of formatting and functionality, CEO Steve Potash said during his “Crystal Ball” presentation, which concluded the company’s biennial Digipalooza user group conference in Cleveland, OH earlier this month.
Accessibility Upgrade: EPUB, Libraries, and Ebook Accessibility
By on April 16, 2013
During a visit to Egypt two years ago, George Kerscher, Secretary General of the Digital Accessible Information System (DAISY) Consortium, found that the country’s major libraries had only a very small collection of books available for print-disabled patrons. And while staff and volunteers were working to make more books accessible, output was limited to only a handful of titles each year.
Discerning this as an outsider, Kerscher (who is blind himself) realized that it was very much a microcosm of how the process of producing accessible books has traditionally functioned in the United States.
Libraries, Ebooks and Beyond: Library “Makers” Share How It’s Done
By on October 18, 2012
Searching for some great ways to get kids hooked on creating digital content? Attendees at the October 17 Digital Shift event got some great tips from Wes Fryer, Melissa Techman, Liz Castro and Erin Daly, all participants in a panel on “Makers in the Library.”
OverDrive To Feature Fast Turnaround MARC Records, New APIs For OPAC Customization
By on June 14, 2012
In response to feedback from librarians and their patrons, digital content distributor OverDrive will soon roll out several “next generation” features that will make ebooks easier to access and catalog, and will make audiobooks easier to sample and download, according to Steve Potash, president and chief executive officer of the Cleveland-based company. “We are going live with…one new partner and one new service to automate and reduce the time and cost for MARC records,” Potash explained during a June 14 meeting with LJ and SLJ staff.
Publishers Must Embrace EPUB 3’s Accessibility Features | BEA 2012
By on June 8, 2012
The new EPUB 3 distribution and interchange format standard for digital publications will include a wealth of features that can be used to enhance ebook accessibility. But, publishers need to begin incorporating those features into production workflows during the digital publication process, rather than expecting other organizations to retrofit accessibility features, Matt Garrish, chief editor of the EPUB 3 specification and author of Accessible EPUB 3, said during the “Ebooks for Everyone: LIA Project, Accessible Publishing Guidelines, EpubCheck and More” session at BookExpo America held this week in New York City.
OverDrive to Launch Browser-based Ebook Reader
By on May 30, 2012
Ebook distributor OverDrive has announced plans to introduce “OverDrive Read,” a new ebook platform that will enable readers to use standard web browsers to read ebooks on computers and mobile devices without installing any additional software or activating a dedicated device.
Ebook toolkit: Easy-to-Use Applications for Creating Your Own
By on February 28, 2012
These ebook creation tools offer a range of capabilities, from adding a few page-turning effects to PDFs to creating full-blown interactive ebooks with multimedia elements.
