OverDrive
The business, the turning points, and the decisions behind them.
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Sections to complete：02 · 05
01 / WHAT IT BUILT
What the company did
OverDrive was the flagship app of OverDrive, Inc., a Cleveland company founded in 1986 that became the world's leading digital distributor of ebooks, audiobooks and magazines to public libraries and schools. For over a decade the OverDrive app let library patrons borrow digital titles; in March 2023 the company announced it would sunset the app on May 1, 2023, directing all readers to its newer Libby app. The company itself continued operating — the shutdown was a product consolidation, not a company failure.
02 / FAILURE REASONS
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03 / EVENT HISTORY
Events in the structured record
- Company founded
OverDrive is founded in Cleveland as a digital media distributor for libraries and schools.
- Closure announced
In March 2023 OverDrive announces its flagship app will shut down on May 1, 2023; readers are directed to the newer Libby app.
04 / CONTEMPORARY REBUILD ASSESSMENT
Difficulty of rebuilding this project today
Material for this section is being gathered and checked. It will appear here once ready.
Overall assessment: Not completed
05 / CAUSAL CHAIN / AFTERMATH
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