OverDrive is a company that handles most public libraries in the USA and also offers services related to eBook borrowing. The company is now expanding to periodicals, via a partnership with Barnes & Noble’s NOOK Media segment.
The idea is to bring issues of magazines and newspapers to people as lent items from libraries. The service will be offered in the US and UK, but the individual libraries will set it up in the way they choose to. OverDrive claims that users may access hundreds of magazines and newspapers from the NOOK Newsstand, when the service is ready. They will also be able to use a NOOK app and a NOOK account to read the content on the handset, tablet, or PC.
The app is available for free and it doesn’t seem there’s any plan to let people read newspapers or magazines on Kindles, Kobo models or NOOK eReaders. There’s a requirement for a device with a color screen and access to a NOOK app. OverDrive is also partnering with Zinio in that area, an app present on many modern and lower specced slates.
