On June 29th, OverDrive issued a press release announcing the preliminary agreement with Disney Digital Books that will enable libraries to offer access to Disney’s comprehensive library of books online.
The Disney Digital Books collection contains over 600 new and classic Disney books from popular franchises such as Mickey Mouse, Toy Story, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, Cars, Hannah Montana, and many others. The program is subscription-based and costs $8.95 a month or $79.95 a year from the Disney Digital Books website—it’ll be interesting to see how the program works through libraries.
Key details from the press release:
“Disney Digital Books is an innovative way for children to experience the joy of reading in a robust and safe online environment. The site offers children of all ages, reading levels, and interests a broad selection of books and features including Look and Listen titles that allow children to hear a story read aloud; a Story-Builder feature so kids can create and share their own stories; and an age-appropriate dictionary that lets children click on any word to hear it read aloud, select unfamiliar words, and read simple definitions.
Libraries will be able to add a subscription to Disney Digital Books using their OverDrive Content Reserve (www.contentreserve.com) account. Users will authenticate on the existing OverDrive-powered library website, and then the Disney Digital Books website will launch in their browser. The service is PC and Mac® compatible and does not require a download.”
Source: Teleread