Pottermore has announced that it has partnered with Overdrive to distribute the eBook and digital audiobook versions of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series in public and school libraries. Overdrive will host the Harry Potter collection of eBooks and digital audiobooks in English and more than 20 other languages in OverDrive’s growing network of over 18,000 public and school libraries worldwide.

Charlie Redmayne, Pottermore CEO, said: “We are keen to support public and school libraries, and OverDrive, as one of the leading suppliers in this market, provides us with a global network that helps us achieve this, as well as encouraging the discovery of these amazing books across the world.”

OverDrive CEO and President Steve Potash also had positive things to say about their deal with Pottermore: “J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter is a once-a-lifetime phenomenon and has been an extremely significant catalyst for reading and literacy for current and future generations. We are honoured to bring this beloved storytelling experience digitally to public and school libraries worldwide.”

This sounds like an exciting opportunity for new and old readers of Potter to experience Rowling’s magical books in a more digital friendly and portable way. While the audiobooks are already available through the iTunes store, they come at a hefty price. I have personally borrowed the audiobooks in CD format from my local library and while that was a fun way to read the books, it also meant constantly changing the CDs. (20 CDs for one book). A digital audiobook version that a reader can listen to for free will be positively met by teachers, students, children and adults alike

No word yet on when they will be available but to find a participating library or school in the OverDrive network, visit http://search.overdrive.com

Will you borrow the eBooks or digital audiobooks from your local library? Let us know!