We value our customers and strive to provide the best overall experience for all of our customers. We are sorry to learn that some customers are unhappy with the decision to migrate our eBook collection from Overdrive to Cloud Library. We are listening and we understand your concerns. As we want all of our customers to be happy, we will resume access to the Overdrive service within 30 days. Availability of eBook titles in the Kindle format to libraries are decreasing and currently are limited. We will reassess this decision in a year as we continue to explore options to provide the best overall experience for all of our customers.
Cloud Library provides eBooks in the EPUB format, which is the industry standard and the most widely distributed eBook format in the US and globally. Cloud Library works with many devices and platforms including newer Kindle devices such as the Kindle Fire that support apps. Kindle Paperwhite and e-Ink e-Reader devices however are not compatible with the Cloud Library. The reason these devices do not work with Cloud Library is that they can only support the Amazon Kindle proprietary eBook file format and not the open standards ePUB format. Amazon does not make this file format widely available to all library eBook vendors and has an exclusive arrangement only with Overdrive. Unfortunately, this locks out other vendors and makes it difficult for libraries to diversify their offerings and bring the best value to our customers. Kindle format users represented about 5% of the Tulsa City County Library Overdrive eBook users.
We understand some customers prefer the e-ink devices for better readability. While the Amazon branded Paperwhite and e-ink devices are not compatible with the ePUB format, other e-Ink eReaders like the Kobo, Sony and Nook eReaders that are compatible with more formats including the ePub format do work with the Cloud Library.
Monique Sendze
Chief Operating Officer, CTO
Tulsa City-County Library