Published: April 19, 2023 by Hannah Nguyen

The unprecedented events of the past few years caused many libraries to close to the public, resulting in a massive increase in digital library usage. The company OverDrive provides the largest digital media catalog in the world to libraries and schools through their award-winning app Libby. They are a certified B Corporation dedicated to improving literacy and supporting libraries and schools with their shared vision. I spoke with Mike Dresch, the recruiting manager at OverDrive about what it’s like to work for them and why information professionals in particular will find this work rewarding.

Making a Global Impact

Librarians all over the world agree on the mission to increase access to information for everyone, and companies like OverDrive help streamline this process. OverDrive is located in Cleveland, Ohio, but they serve more than 88,000 libraries in over 100 countries. In 2020 alone, 430 million titles were borrowed across OverDrive platforms. Their company vision is “a world enlightened by reading”, and they state that their “passion is to ensure people have more options to read more often in more places.” In addition to their literacy goals, their certified B Corporation status indicates that they are dedicated to sustainability and providing a positive social impact.

Opportunities to Grow

It is easy to see why a career at OverDrive would be attractive to an LIS professional, and according to their CEO, Steve Potash, they truly value librarians’ opinions. “Every great idea that OverDrive has had in the past 20 years came about because a librarian imagined it and said, ‘It would be cool if….’ We try to be good listeners.” If you’re wondering what types of opportunities are available, Recruiting Manager Mike Dresch shared that there are a lot of prospects for people with a passion for the library space who are looking for alternatives. Some of the opportunities that might be interesting for students or alumni include working for their metadata team or acting as a collection development librarian. They even have a digital bookmobile for those who are passionate about outreach! Potash has shared that they employ almost 100 former librarians and teachers, and there are a lot of opportunities to grow. Many former librarians have transitioned into different roles within this company, like product development, sales, or partner services. This allows them to explore another career path without lessening their impact on the mission to improve access for everyone.  

Work-Life Balance

OverDrive’s website states that they are committed to supporting initiatives that offer their employees work-life balance, which is certainly an attractive quality. According to Dresch, the entire company works on a hybrid schedule, with two days in the office, and three days at home. This helps offer employees work-life balance without sacrificing all of the benefits of in-person communication. Dresch stated that the “enthusiasm is contagious. At the end of the day, you get to walk away feeling good about the work you do. I’ve been with Overdrive for 13 years and the people are truly incredible.”

Take a look at all of the current openings at OverDrive to see if something catches your eye!

Additional Resources

• Read about OverDrive’s mission and values.
• Libby app features you may not know about

Explore Internship Opportunities:

Remember that internships can be an especially valuable part of your learning experience at the iSchool while also helping you when it comes time to look for jobs. Learn more about the iSchool’s internship program here, where you can check out the INFO 294 Student Handbook as well as the Internship Sites database.