OverDrive Awarded "B Corporation" Certification for its Dedication to Social Mission and Environmental Accountability

Company empowers local and global communities with its commitment to "A World Enlightened by Reading"

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Aug 16, 2017, 07:02 ET

CLEVELAND, Aug. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- OverDrive, a Rakuten Group Company and the leading digital reading platform for libraries and schools, is proud to announce today that it has earned certification as a B Corporation. OverDrive joins thousands of companies such as Ben & Jerry's, Patagonia, Etsy and others to lead a global movement of using business for good. This prestigious B Corp honor acknowledges the company's commitment to creating exceptional positive social and environmental impact.

Similar to what Fair Trade Certified is to coffee, B Corporations are for-profit companies certified to meet rigorous social, workforce and environmental standards. B Corp reflects the values upon which OverDrive was founded and the mission, vision and operating values it pursues today. OverDrive is taking responsibility for tomorrow and, together with 38,000 library and school partners worldwide, supports communities by championing education, reading and literacy with eBooks and audiobooks.

"Every member of OverDrive embraces the social and public mission of our library and school partners to improve communities with access to information and tools to promote literacy," said Lori Franklin, OverDrive's Chief Operating Officer. "This includes our commitment to our planet, our workforce and business partners, and to the OverDrive worldwide network of public institutions dedicated to improving society via lifelong learning."

As a B Corp, OverDrive will continue to innovate and challenge itself to be the best following the highest ideals. The certification celebrates everything OverDrive stands for: Empowering communities with digital reading services, supporting literacy and creating reading happiness; supporting initiatives that offer work-life balance for employees; and incorporating work practices and business policies that strengthen and preserve the environment for future generations.

"We are thrilled to welcome OverDrive into the Certified B Corporation community," said Ben Anderson, Chief B Keeper at B Lab, the nonprofit that certifies B Corps. "By meeting the rigorous standards of B Corp Certification, OverDrive has shown the value they place in measuring and managing their impact and creating positive impact for all stakeholders."

Founded in 1986 by Steve Potash, OverDrive enjoys long-standing trusted partnerships with the world's leading publishers and authors supplying books and reading to a network of millions of readers in over 70 countries. For nearly 2 decades, OverDrive has empowered the world's leading libraries and educational institutions to provide anytime, anywhere access to books and reading in over 100 languages.

"Not only is it the right thing to do, it aligns with the mission of our library and school partners and what we strive for each day: A World Enlightened by Reading," continued Franklin. "We seek to delight more readers every day."

For more information about B Corporations and highlights of OverDrive's certification, click here. To find a library near you, visit overdrive.com and click on find a library.

About Rakuten OverDrive®
OverDrive is the leading digital reading platform for libraries and schools worldwide. We are dedicated to "a world enlightened by reading" by delivering the industry's largest catalog of eBooks, audiobooks and other digital media to a growing network of 38,000 libraries and schools in 70 countries. Founded in 1986, OverDrive is based in Cleveland, Ohio USA and owned by Tokyo-based Rakuten. www.overdrive.com

Contact:
David Burleigh
Director of Brand Communications
[email protected]

SOURCE OverDrive