OverDrive site goes "Next Gen"

Heads up folks - our OverDrive site - the place where patrons can get eBooks and eAudio downloadables will soon be completely different!  The migration to the Next Generation site is scheduled for sometime next week -  the week of February 25th. Any questions - please ask Sally! We'll be revising the OverDrive handouts soon, but the site may launch before then.

So get a sneak peek now -  click on this image and take a trip through the new navigation, features and more. Patrons can also click on this from our current site, which has what they call "One Step Checkout." 

Want to see it in action? check out this video.  Note - we do not offer movies or music.  And we do not have the patron option where patrons can suggest a title for purchase or buy it themselves.

Just a few details:

 

See It

--Browse or search for a title or author.  Tip:  Look at the Book Jacket's upper right corner to see Availability.   

You can see which titles are available and which ones you can place on hold by the format icon in the top-right corner of a cover image. If a title isn't available, the icon will be greyed out.

 

 

--eBooks

Borrow It

• Click on the Book Jacket to see Details.
• Click Borrow  - (you may be prompted to sign in) 
• Then  - Go to Bookshelf

Download or Read It

Just choose either

• To download it - Choose a format
• To read the title in your browser

 

Other Notes

--Kindle users (the e-Ink type) Click for new steps. (use Instruction set #1)

--When you choose "Read"  you can open the eBook right from your web browser with the new OverDrive Read option.  And if you try the "Read" option -- you can go back to your Account and download the eBook to a computer - or to a device with the OverDrive Media Console app.

 

 

One BIG DIFFERENCE!  The OverDrive Read option on the new site will not work with the county's standard web browser,  Internet Explorer 8.  Please don't download the IE plugin for the Google Chrome Frame plugin onto your staff PC.  Please use Firefox if you run into display issues or skip OverDrive Read on a staff PC.

--eAudio titles haven't changed much

Select the title you want, click (or tap) Borrow, then download it from your Bookshelf.  You still need to choose the format (WMA or MP3) compatible for your device.

The Good News:  Now you can filter your Search or Browse results by Device type like iPhone or iPod Touch.

The Less Good News:  Keep on Scrollin'  You must scroll to page end  to see the device limiters on the left.

 

If you access  the OverDrive site on a mobile device, it should only display titles with compatible formats for your device. 

Tip: For mobile devices like an iPhone - it may be easier to start with the OverDrive app, to search and navigate the site.

 

--Use these Navigation icons at the top of the screen.  The Menu bar will be available from any page—just click the icon to expand or collapse it.

--From your Account page, you will be able to view your Holds, Lists (Wish List, Rated titles, and Recommendations for you), and change your lending period(s) from the Settings page.

The Research Portal is fully stocked!

In case you missed the news, check out these new resources just added in July.

• Ancestry Library Edition
• MyGovernment
• Encyclopedia Britannica (with mobile)
• Amazing Animals
• National Geographic Magazine Archive
• Livemocha
• Gale Directory Library (GDL) titles
  • Business Rankings Annual    
  • Consultants and Consulting Organizations 
  • Encyclopedia of Business Information Sources 
  • Gale Directory of Publications and Broadcast Media

And don't forget we are now without these:

• Grzimek's Animal Life: Gale has discontinued this title.
• Historic Wall Street Journal:   Historic stock prices are available from S & P’s Netadvantage in the Daily Price Record section.
• Morningstar Mutual Funds print edition. The publisher has discontinued the print edition effective Dec 2012. We will keep online access we have currently.

Getting to know Ancestry Library Edition

It's official - We have added Ancestry Library Edition (ALE) for the public as  of July 1, 2012.  It will be available ONLY in the library, from public PCs. We expect this popular genealogy resource to draw new users to the library... so get ready.

First, review this ALE Topic Guide for an overview. It will be good to know what's on there, to help with those patron questions we anticipate.

We've also got the Genealogy Topic Guide -- which brings together a selection of all our various resources. (ALE will appar here too, in July)

Next, get a head start with prerecorded Tutorial sessions on ALE. The Basic session lasts about 60 minutes and includes: Broad content review, Browse and search functions of various collections, Viewing, printing, and saving

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT - especially if you're like me and haven't done any genealogy research before.

Start here at the main tutorial site. Scroll to the end, and click on the session for  "Ancestry Library Edition (ALE) Basics" and then click the Playback button.  It will take a moment to load.  Then just watch and listen!

If you get bitten by the genealogy bug, go ahead and try one of the Advanced sessions, or those for HeritageQuest.

Questions about ALE?  Email Sally.

Encyclopedia Britannica Online

Start using Britannica Online now - don't wait for the "back to school" crowd

It's live for the public as of July 1st - so check out the new Topic Guide now

Click here to view a Britannica Fact Sheet 


NEW:  we now have a streamlined mobile interface. Try it on your smartphone -- with this link: Encyclopedia Britannica
You should be asked for your Library Card and PIN.


Any questions let Sally know!

See Interface Preview for NetLibrary -BIG switch to EBSCO style in July

Hey gang,
Why not start getting used to the new platform ebook reading/viewing now, so it won't be such a shock in July when it changes for real?  Go ahead, click the giant Preview banner on the NetLibrary site now.

What's so great about it?

• Enhanced eBook viewer
• Improved research tools (folder, citation exports, powerful EBSCOhost features)
• Narrow search result list by subjects, categories, authors, and more
• Enhanced notes feature

Ready for an overview? Watch this quick vid on new features and changes.  FYI this preview link is not our full collection...it's just to give you an idea of what to expect.

What ELSE will be different? 

Patrons will need NEW EBSCO eBook accounts!
Since our move to III,  a "free NetLibrary account" is no longer required to read eBooks online--only needed for downloadable titles.

So we'll be alerting current NetLibrary patrons that they will need to save their personal account content (notes on eBooks, lists of eBooks they may have saved) somewhere safe, before the transition takes place.  After the transition to EBSCOhost, users will be able to set up their own My EBSCOhost accounts for saving and managing our collection of eBooks.


Finally, the records in the catalog will connect to the eBook title on the new EBSCO platform, which is good news.

Questions?   let me know!
Sally

Downloadables Review - How to Help Patrons

So many devices, so little time...

with all the news about Kindle and OveDrive, this is a good time to review how best to answer questions from patrons about eBooks or eAudio.

The first stop should be showing/telling them directions to the "My Help" section on our OverDrive site. This really walks them through it. From the Library website, click eCollection, then eAudio or eBooks.  


It is, however, a bit vaugue about transferring EPUB titles to an eReader device.  For details on this, do use our own "Help & Troubleshooting" link at the bottom of the eCollection page, just look under "To transfer to eReader" for a short summary.

and don't forget, we have Tip Sheets on transferring EPUBS to eReaders or Apple, Android or BlackBerry devices. These are saved on the L:\drive...feel free to print them for your branch or desks.


#1 takeaway?  Nook, Sony or Kobo eReaders can't handle a direct download.  eBooks MUST be downloaded to a computer, then transferred to the eReader while it's cabled up to the computer.


eBooks cannot be returned early from mobile or eReader devices. BUT they can be returned early from the computer, from within Adobe Digital Editions.

Lending Periods can be customized to 7 or 14 days, rather than the 21 day default. Click here and scroll past Kindle news. 

If you are talking to somone who just needs more help...please refer them to Ask A Librarian.

Unfortunately, we aren't able to make appointments or give in person help with their device, because 9 times out of 10, this has to be setup with the patron's home computer, and email is the best method.



And yes.  Kindle is coming but NO date is set!

NetLibrary for remote patrons -- Hooray!

Hooray hardly seems to express it - but do take a moment to scope out the vastly improved patron access to our NetLibrary titles. Thanks to the hardworking MMD folks, all 32,159 eBooks titles in the new Catalog have new URLs which allow seamless access whether you are In-Library or not. For patrons at home, they just need to click on the hyperlink that says ..."accessible through the World Wide Web…"

THEN they should be prompted for a Library Card and PIN. Once they login with that, they should reach that particular title at our APL NetLibrary Site.


(May I just say here, "Ta Da") No more sending the patron to a vague NetLibrary generic page!

NetLibrary patrons are still encouraged to create a free account -- necessary if they want to *download* a NetLibrary EPUB title. But they can do this after linking from a record in the Library Catalog.

They no longer need to start from the Library website to create an account.

For new patrons in person -- you can still show them our NetLibrary webpage, since it has some details about the eBook collection, etc.