Harry Potter E-Books: Public Schools, Libraries to Get the Magic

Harry Potter is getting the e-book treatment.

Digital distributor OverDrive, Inc. reached a deal with author J.K. Rowling's Pottermore Web site to bring the phenomenally popular Harry Potter series to electronic reading devices for thousands of libraries and public schools around the world, the company announced on its Web site.

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 honoured to bring this beloved storytelling experience digitally to public and school libraries worldwide.

Fans may find the idea of a Harry Potter book being available electronically bemusing, as the vast majority of them were probably more likely to wait in long lines at midnight sales to purchase a pre-ordered copy of a book they waited years -- yes, years -- to read.

And some of the books were quite sizable, particularly the last four in the series. Not that fans minded. If anything, the books were never long enough! Such was the magic.

Now the books will be available in more than 20 languages in a far less hefty format. A date has not been announced.

What do you think of the series being available electronically?