By Andrew Richard Albanese, Editor-in-Chief
Leading U.S.-based digital library platform OverDrive, the company behind the Libby, Sora, and Kanopy apps for libraries and schools, this week announced the acquisition of divibib GmbH, the company behind German digital lending service Onleihe.In a release, OverDrive reps said the deal, struck with divbib parent company ekz.bibliotheksservice GmbH, will, over time, transition Onleihe users to Libby, OverDrive’s library reading app, which is already used by more than 600 library partners across the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), “eliminating the need to manage two separate systems.”
No financial details were released, but reps added that divibib will “continue to operate from its longstanding base” in Reutlingen, Germany “throughout the transition.”
As for the transition, no timeline was given but reps said Onleihe users will continue to have access to digital lending throughout, and that OverDrive and ekz-Group officials will “communicate with library partners over the coming weeks” to share information about the process.
“Onleihe has earned the trust of libraries over almost 20 years, and that trust is incredibly valuable. Our commitment is to preserve what matters most about Onleihe while bringing libraries the technology, innovation, and scale of Libby,” said Claudia Weissman, Managing Director of OverDrive Europe, calling the combination “an extraordinary opportunity” for public libraries throughout the DACH region.
Pierre Bourdon, Managing director of ekz.bibliotheksservice, added that the move will combine the company’s “local expertise” and “expansive German catalog across e-books, audiobooks, and newspapers” with OverDrive’s technology, catalog, and team, delivering a better experience for everyone. “Librarians and patrons will benefit from one unified platform offering a massive selection of both German and international content,” Bourdon said. “This partnership also enables us at ekz to focus on our core services for libraries, specifically physical media processing, furniture, and equipment.”
Onleihe has served public libraries across the DACH region and other German-speaking communities since 2007.