In the afternoon of August 3, 2026, Mr. Steve Potash, Founder and Chairman of the Board of OverDrive, Inc., along with Ms. Lisa Zhang, General Manager for China and Regional Manager for Northeast Asia, visited the Shanghai Library East. Director Chen Chao and Deputy Director Xu Qiang extended a warm welcome to Mr. Potash.
Director Chen Chao gave Mr. Potash an overview of the Shanghai Library East's general operation and services, expressing the hope for further collaboration with OverDrive, Inc., in order to provide readers with more reading resources in the future. Mr. Potash thanked Director Chen for his gracious hospitality and shared his deep appreciation for the efforts made by many international libraries in promoting reading in the post-pandemic era. He stated that OverDrive is willing to assist these libraries in attracting readers in the environment with new reading formats and lifestyles.
Subsequently, Mr. Potash introduced OverDrive's current collection of over 6 million titles of high-quality, copyrighted digital resources available in more than 100 languages, along with details on circulation, reading behavior analysis among student populations, and explorations into new reading methods. Director Chen Chao responded positively, expressing anticipation for stronger cooperation in sharing children's reading resources, building on accumulated experience and moving forward together.
After the meeting, Director Chen Chao and Deputy Director Xu Qiang accompanied Mr. Potash and his delegation on a tour of key areas of the library, including the smart bookshelves on the third floor, the Reading Plaza, and the atrium on the first floor.
