Digital book distributor OverDrive has revealed plans for a new browser-based digital reading platform called OverDrive Read.
AppNewser has more: “The platform, which is based in HTML5 and EPUB, allows readers to read eBooks without having to install an app. Instead readers can access the books using a web browser while on or offline.” Using the platform, publishers can create a URL for each title. This link can include book previews and review copies, as well as browsing capabilities and sample chapters.
The platform launches later this year, but you can check out a demo at BEA. Follow this link to see the interface.
Erica Lazzaro, OverDrive’s director of publisher relations, stated: “OverDrive Read’s use of open web standards will enable online communities to accelerate discovery and socialization of eBooks. It will enable OverDrive’s catalog of premium eBooks from over 1,000 publishers to be easily integrated across retail, school and library catalogs for standard computers and connected mobile devices.”