MHLS - OverDrive

OverDrive Digital Downloads

Training for Staff:

Sign-in to the OverDrive training center (to show that you are part of MHLS and thereby authorized) to view these prerecorded trainings:
- Kindle Demo: 20 minutes. Get up to speed with the new user experience for library eBooks on Kindle devices or Kindle reading apps.
- Just the Basics - Browse, checkout and download: 45 minutes. Learn how to browse, check out, and download OverDrive titles. At the end of this, staff should feel comfortable answering basic questions about the OverDrive service.
- OverDrive Mobile: 45 minutes. This session covers the basics of getting started with popular mobile devices … Android, BlackBerry, iPhone / iPad / iPod touch, and eBook readers.
Kindle Demo: Get up to speed with the new user experience for library eBooks on Kindle devices or Kindle reading apps.
OverDrive Guided Tour: A self-paced guide to selecting, downloading, and enjoying digital titles. Complete the entire Guided Tour in about 30 minutes, or select an individual topic.
MHLS 5-Question-Training for OverDrive Downloadable Audiobooks
MHLS 5-Question-Training for OverDrive eBooks

Helping Patrons:

The new 'Help' interface launched in 2/2012 and is accessed by clicking the ‘Help’ button in the top tool bar of the MHLS Digital Download s webpage at http://mhls.lib.overdrive.com. OverDrive Help contains hundreds of newly-written help articles covering everything users need to know to enjoy eBooks and audiobooks from our digital collection. It has great 'getting started' help, and is customized for the users computer or device.

For staff reference and distribution to patrons :
- Kindle How-To Guide
- eBook Reader How-to Guide
- Mobile Device How-to Guide for eBooks & audiobooks
- To see just the eBooks that are checked in now
- Library Compatible eBook Devices - for patrons who are looking to get an eBook reader

Statistics:

In 2012 the MHLS Digital Download Center of eBooks and audiobooks is averaging about 6,600 checkouts per month, which includes more than 1,200 checkouts per month done through mobile devices.
Statistics on use per library are available: 2010 | 2011 | 2012.

About the Collection:

The MHLS OverDrive Collection Development Guidelines contain good information about the focus of the collection, how it is funded and how things circulate.
Audiobooks: There are currently over 1,200 audiobook titles in the collection. More are being added. The MHLS OverDrive audiobook collection started on 2/15/10.

An audiobook is a recorded reading of a book that can be downloaded and enjoyed on a computer or portable device. It is not an eBook.
A large part of the audiobook collection will work with i-pods as well as mp3 players. There are 2 types of files:
- MP3 Audiobooks are considered the "most compatible" as they are compatible with many devices including most cell phones, PDAs, and MP3 players. If you wish to transfer audiobooks to a device (other than the Apple iPod or iPhone) that plays MP3 audio files but does not support DRM-protected WMA files, you must pick MP3 Audiobooks.
- WMA Audiobooks are about half the file size of MP3 Audiobooks but maintain the same level of audio quality. They are generally compatible with portable devices that support DRM-protected WMA files encoded at a bit rate of 32kbps. Many OverDrive WMA Audiobook titles can be transferred to Apple devices (where permitted by the publisher).

eBooks: There are currently over 1,860 eBook titles in the collection including 100 of the most popular Duke Classics eBooks as an ‘Always Available' collection. More are being added. The MHLS OverDrive eBook collection started on 11/17/10.
- An eBook is a digital book that can be downloaded and read on a computer or portable device.

How Check-out Works:

The majority of items in the collection can be checked out by one patron at a time. Exceptions:
- 100 eBooks in the MHLS Digital Download Center are listed as 'Always Available'. This means each of these 100 titles is available for unlimited simultaneous downloads until 4/23/2013.
- Project Gutenberg eBooks can be accessed by clicking the "Enjoy additional eBooks today" icon on the left navigation bar on the MHLS OverDrive Digital Downloads website. It also appears at the bottom of the mobile version of the website.
  - This is a separate collection of eBooks from our main OverDrive collection.
  - Patrons do NOT need to sign in to download these titles.
  - These do not count towards the checkout limits.
  - Downloads do not expire.
  - The Project Gutenberg collection of eBooks also uses the same Adobe Digital Editions software as the OverDrive titles.
Patrons can have up to 3 titles checked out at one time. They get to pick their own loan period (either 7 or 14 days).
If the title they want is already checked out they can get on the waiting list. They can have up to 3 items on their waiting list at one time. When it is their ‘turn’ for the title they will get an e-mail from noreply@midhudson.org and will have 3 days to check out their title. If they do not, the opportunity gets sent on to the next person on the waiting list.
Circulation is authenticated through Millennium and follows the same parameters (patron cannot check out if card is expired or owes over $10).
The PIN the patron needs in OverDrive is the same PIN they use in Millennium.
How to Download an EPUB or PDF eBook
How to Place a Hold

Returning Items:

At the end of the loan period all items will expire automatically and will return to the collection automatically.
Audiobooks can now be returned before the loan period is over on some devices.
eBooks can be returned before the loan period is over:
- How to return an EPUB or PDF eBook early
- How to return a Kindle eBook early: an eBook checked out on the Kindle is returned through Amazon

Devices that Can be Used:

The OverDrive Device Resource Center lists the devices that can be used, including mobile devices. This list of Support Devices is also on the left navigation bar of the MHLS Digital Download webpage.
For staff reference and distribution to patrons: Library Compatible eBook Devices
Kindle can now be used with the collection: As of 9/21/11 compatibility of Amazon Kindle with the OverDrive eBook collection is here. Most of the eBooks in our existing MHLS Digital Download collection at http://mhls.lib.overdrive.com are able to be read on all Kindle devices, though there may be a small number of PDF titles that are not yet available for Kindle. OverDrive and Amazon are working to reduce this number to achieve greater coverage.
- User Experience for Kindle Book Users
  - All browsing, searching, and checkout of eBook titles will remain the same in our MHLS Digital Download collection.
  - When a user checks out a Kindle Book, a "Get for Kindle" link will be presented that opens a new window (or tab) at Amazon prompting the user to login to their Amazon account. Fulfillment will occur at Amazon's website so your user will need an Amazon account to access the library eBook in the Kindle format. No purchase or credit card is required to create an Amazon Kindle account; users only need to provide an email address. Once signed in, the user will select which Kindle device they want to deliver the title to for reading.
  - As with other titles from your digital collection, the eBook will expire at the end of the lending period.
  - MHLS Tech Support, with the help of OverDrive, will continue to provide technical support for most aspects of eBook lending, but for Kindle users Amazon will provide technical support for Kindle Book related issues.
- Instructions from Amazon for Kindle users
- Kindle How-To Guide
How to Transfer an Audiobook to a Portable Device

Marketing:

An OverDrive Digital Download website was created exclusively for MHLS libraries (http://mhls.lib.overdrive.com). This web site pictures all the titles and groups them into easy to browse categories.
Posters:

Bookmarks:

Audiobook bookmarks through the MHLS Material Request Form
Printable audiobook & eBook bookmarks

Shelf Talkers:

Business Card size promotion for Audiobooks & eBooks

Kindle Marketing Toolkit

Downloading at the Library

As you know, public computers may not be used to download OverDrive titles (though patrons can download in the library using their own laptop and the wireless connection provided by the library) due to copyright issues. This is because if the OverDrive Media Console was installed on a library computer that would allow multiple patrons to have access to titles downloaded by other patrons, and the materials are meant for personal use only. Software that turns an existing library computer into an OverDrive Download Station is available. With this installed, patrons can use the library computer to download audiobooks to their device in the library. Download Stations are for audiobooks only, they do not work for downloading eBooks.