"Check Out Your Library" Campaign to Ignite Conversation, Engagement, and Love for Public Libraries

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.

(PRNewsfoto/OverDrive)

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

Logo for Check Out Your Library along with the logos for Libby, Sora, and Kanopy.

Image of the Library Vehicle, "the LV."

Headshot for award-winning author and audiobook narrator, Julia Whelan.

Promotional image for Paul Scheer's "Joyful Recollections of Trauma."

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