Category: E-Books

Sharing OverDrive Titles

OverDrive LogoThe other day, I spotted a neat feature in the OverDrive Media Console app that I had previously overlooked.  After clicking the “+” next to a title on my bookshelf to view its details page, I saw a “Share” button.  Ever curious, I clicked it and was surprised to be presented with options to share this title via email, Facebook, Goodreads, or any other social app installed on my (Android) phone.  This is not a feature for lending a title to a friend, but it allowed me to send links and mention it to a targeted audience.  If you like to recommend books to your friends, this could be a handy feature.

After a little research, I learned that the share feature differs by device.  While Android users are given every possible sharing option, iOS (Apple) users can only share via Facebook, Twitter and email.  If you’re using a Windows phone, you will be limited to sharing on Facebook.  Sadly, Blackberry users were not mentioned in the press release.  If you are a Blackberry user, I’d be interested to hear whether the share option is available to you.

OverDrive Media Console Update – Important Changes

OverDrive LogoIf you use our OverDrive service to download e-books and/or audiobooks to an Android or iOS (Apple) device, there is a new update on the way that may not be as seamless as the updates have been in the past.  OverDrive emailed the release notes for the new version to partner libraries indicating the new update, version 2.6.5, will be made available on May 29th 28th via Google Play, the App Store, and the OverDrive website.

For Android users, the update includes some bug fixes and should go as smoothly as previous updates.  However, iOS users may have a bit more difficulty due to a change in Apple’s privacy policies.  The update will require all iOS users to reauthorize the device by re-entering Adobe ID information into the app.  If you have forgotten your Adobe password, there will be a “forgot password” link within the app, or you can head to Adobe’s sign-in page and click the “Trouble signing in?” link to reset your password.   Any audiobooks that have been partially downloaded will need to be re-downloaded from your OverDrive account’s bookshelf to get the missing parts.

As always, if you run into any trouble with the updates or the OverDrive service in general, please to not hesitate to email, call the Reference Desk (518-477-7476, option 5), or stop by to get assistance with your issue.

OverDrive Read

OverDrive LogoIf you enjoy reading library e-books on your device, but find downloading titles to be a painful process, we have good news!  OverDrive has a new option for users called “OverDrive Read.”  This allows e-books to be read in any modern web browser (such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Chrome, Safari, etc.) without the need to download.  As an added bonus, the e-books are stored “in the cloud”, which means your place will be saved no matter which device or browser you use to access the e-books.

Limitations
As with anything that seems too good to be true, there are some limitations.  For instance, if you are using a Nook or a Kindle, the e-books may not work in your browser, but OverDrive claims to be working on this.  For more on browser details, see OverDrive’s compatibility page.  Also, if you use a version of Internet Explorer prior to 10, the first time you try to access a Read title you may be asked to download and install a plug-in called, “Google Chrome Frame.”  This is necessary to view the books properly, but will only need to be done once.  Finally, and most importantly, not all e-books are available in Read format.  In fact, due to publisher restrictions, only about 60% of OverDrive e-books can be read in a browser.

Features
One nice thing is that Read titles can be accessed offline.  When you open a title, it is cached (saved) for offline access.  You can save the title to your bookmarks/favorites or save them as links on your mobile device’s home screen.  As long as you don’t clear out your cache, the e-book will be available to you for the entire lending period whether you are online or not.  Unfortunately, if you needed to install the Chrome Frame plug-in to view your book in Internet Explorer, offline reading is not supported.  We recommend upgrading to IE10 or installing an alternate browser.  Another handy feature of Read e-books is that they can be returned early from within your OverDrive account’s bookshelf.

For a step-by-step picture guide to finding and downloading Read titles, download the library’s PDF brochure.  Still have questions?  Let us know in the comments below, stop by the Reference Desk , or contact us via email or phone (518-477-7476, option 5).

So Much News, So Few Posts

busySorry for my absence, folks!  Things have been a bit crazy around here with all of the new and exciting tech projects brewing at the library.  I’ll give a quick rundown of what’s going on, and future posts will give more detail.

  • OverDrive, our service provider for downloadable e-books and audiobooks, has completely redesigned their website and checkout process.  The new site looks great on any device, and the process of borrowing titles is much more streamlined.  I have already updated our print brochures to reflect the changes, and I’m working furiously to update the website, as well.  Also, many of the e-book titles are available to read in a browser of your choice – no download required!  See our OverDrive READ brochure (PDF) for more information.  This bullet point will definitely get its own post.  Maybe two.
  • Starting in May, we are going to make laptops available for checkout within the library.  After signing an agreement, cardholders in good standing will be able to borrow a laptop from the Reference Desk for 2.5 hours.  Laptops cannot leave the building, but they will provide mobility within the library as well as the opportunity to work in groups.  Due to limitations in our printing software, they will be unable to print.  However, unlike our wired public computers, patrons will be able to temporarily save documents to the desktop for easy attachment to email.  When the laptop is shut down, any changes made by the user will be wiped out.  Head to the Reference Desk for more details.
  • In May, we will be completely revamping our public computing areas.  Our current computers are getting slow and outdated.  We will be replacing them with state-of-the art, blazing fast thin clients.  This will allow us to offer additional internet browser options,  Microsoft Office 2010, Windows 7, temporary saving of documents, and the return of many popular features, such as right-clicking!  It will also make it much easier for yours truly to keep them updated and secure.  Please be patient with us as we learn and deploy the new system.  I will keep you updated as we make progress.
  • For the last two months, library staff members have been participating in a technology training program called Connect 2 U.  The aim of this program was to help our staff become more comfortable with diving in and learning new technology tools that may be useful to both staff and patrons.  As a result, you may see more videos showing up on our YouTube channel, ranging from book reviews to tutorials on how to use library services.
  • We are exploring software options that will allow us to provide chat/text reference services to our patrons.  If all goes well, we hope to roll this out in the late summer.
  • The website we have works well on desktop computers and tablets, but the mobile site we use leaves a bit to be desired.  We’re working on an update/redesign that will be friendly to all devices, without requiring the maintenance of two separate websites.

Do you have other tech suggestions for the library? We’d love to hear them in the comments below.

OverDrive Gets a New Look and Browser-Based Reading

OverDrive Logo

If you use our downloadable e-books or audiobooks, you may be glad to know that the long-promised redesign and additional features, dubbed “Next Generation”, have finally arrived!  To see the new site layout, head to http://digitalcollection.uhls.org.  The short video below will explain how to browse the collection and manage your account in the new interface.  It will also introduce a great new feature – “OverDrive Read.”  This allows patrons to check out e-books and read them in a browser (online or offline) and synchronize bookmarks, last page read, etc. across devices.  Not all titles are available in OverDrive Read, but many are.

Some information to note about the new interface:

  • The new website uses “responsive design” which allows the mobile and desktop experience to be the same—optimized for any size screen regardless of a user’s device.
  • The Next Generation digital library website makes use of web technologies such as HTML 5 and CSS 3, which are not supported by some versions of Internet Explorer. If a user has IE 7 installed,  they will be immediately prompted to complete a one-time install of the Google Chrome Frame plug-in. The plug-in is free and only takes a few seconds to install. Users of IE 8 & 9 will also be prompted to install the plug-in for use of OverDrive Read (browser-based reading). Users may switch to another browser such as Firefox, Chrome, or Safari.

Let us know what you think of the new interface in the comment section below!