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Did the Digital Bookmobile Go Inside a Building?

Can a 42-foot-long Toterhome that runs on a generator fit and run inside of a building? We put it to the test this year at Digipalooza.

Every two years, OverDrive hosts Digipalooza, an international user group conference for partner libraries and schools that offers a unique blend of education, networking and fun. The conference is packed full of valuable librarian-led sessions and networking activities with publishers and industry experts.

When planning this year’s conference, staff members thought outside the box and envisioned the Digital Bookmobile inside the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland. It had to be close enough to sessions and convenient enough for attendees to visit during breaks. I mean, what if it rained!? (It did… briefly.)

Did it go inside a building? Yes, yes it did.

Digital Bookmobile inside Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland

With the help of convention center staff, our driver Ira, and pre-planning, over 400 attendees saw the Digital Bookmobile inside the convention center, and many got a tour! The Digital Bookmobile was set up to safely run inside on battery power and showcased our traveling exhibit to library and school partners.

This was our second stop during Digipalooza. Our first stop saw 244 visitors at Punch Bowl Social, Digipalooza’s Kickoff Social. Both days were fun, but there’s something special about being somewhere you’re traditionally not supposed to be.

Digipalooza attendees visit the Digital Bookmobile inside the convention center

For more photos from the event, please visit our Flickr page.

New Digital Bookmobile, Who Saw it First?

Delicious brats and cheese curds. The birthplace of Frank Lloyd Wright and Laura Ingalls Wilder. Dubbed the Badger state and America’s Dairyland. Get where I’m going here? The Digital Bookmobile powered by OverDrive made its first two stops of 2017 in Wisconsin!

 

First up was Waukesha Public Library on June 9th. Waukesha’s beautiful library was complimented by the Digital Bookmobile on the first day of summer break and welcomed 128 visitors.

 

Two brothers browsed Wisconsin Public Library’s collection of 53,000 eBooks, 16,500 audiobooks, and 500 videos!

Kori Hall, Head of Program Development and Community Engagement said, “(The) event was excellent!”

 

Second stop was in the charming village of Greendale, WI. Walking down Broad St. you were guided by rows of flowers, statues, and trucks.. lots of trucks.

 

Greendale Public Library hosted “Dozer Days” on June 10th which brought in the Digital Bookmobile, an ambulance, fire truck, garbage truck, and more. Young kids filled the streets with their parents and learned about thousands of kids eBooks and Read-Alongs they can enjoy this summer.

 

Children weren’t the only ones exploring the Digital Bookmobile. A total of 199 users of all ages came on board and got started reading eBooks and listening to audiobooks on their personal devices.

 

To end our stay in Wisconsin, the OverDrive team couldn’t help but stop at Culver’s and explore their 80+ flavors of custard! Mmm