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Harry Potter e-books coming to schools, libraries around the world

Pottermore has partnered with e-book company Overdrive to bring electronic versions of the 'Harry Potter' series to libraries and schools in five languages.

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Warner Bros. Pictures/AP
Harry Potter e-books in schools and libraries will presumably be the first access fans have to electronic formats of the books, since website Pottermore is in beta testing indefinitely.
  • By Molly Driscoll Monitor contributor

Harry Potter e-books will be coming to schools and libraries, according to an announcement by the company Pottermore.

Pottermore, a website which provides an immersive Harry Potter experience and will be the only place online for Harry fans to purchase e-books of the series, entered into an agreement with e-book company Overdrive to bring the electronic versions of the seven books to more than 18,000 public libraries and schools all over the world.

“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,” OverDrive CEO and president Steve Potash said in a statement. “We are honored to bring this beloved storytelling experience digitally to public and school libraries worldwide.”

Overdrive will first offer the e-books in English, Italian, Spanish, French and German, and the press release from Pottermore said more languages will soon be added. The e-books will be accessible from smartphones, e-reading devices like the Kindle and Nook, and tablet devices as well as computers. Fans will also be able to borrow the audio book for listening on computers, iPods, and smartphones in MP3 format.

The press release did not list a date on which the e-books will be made available.

The website Pottermore, which will be the only place to purchase Harry Potter e-books, is currently still in beta mode and is not accessible for most users. There has not been a date given as to when the website will open to the general public.

Molly Driscoll is a Monitor contributor.

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