Digital Books, Audiobooks and EMagazines
Bridges
Bridges is the eBook and audiobook buying consortium for Iowa public libraries. The State Library of Iowa facilitates the program and manages the contract with OverDrive on behalf of the participating libraries.
OverDrive, Inc. is an American digital distributor of eBooks, audiobooks, and magazine titles. The company provides secure management, digital rights management and download fulfillment services for publishers, libraries, schools, and retailers.
Libraries that participate in Bridges contribute over $500,000 per year through a formula-based fee to the State Library that covers the collection budget for ebooks and audiobooks, the purchase of MARC records, and a small packet of promotional materials for new members.
The State Library covers the Overdrive platform fee and the cost of OverDrive Magazines with federal LSTA funding from IMLS. With more than 4,000 popular titles supplied in partnership with ZINIO and available to read in Libby, OverDrive Magazines have no circulation cap and allow unlimited simultaneous use, so patrons can enjoy every issue of every magazine. With smart tags in Libby, patrons can be notified when each new issue is released.