How to use this Page

On-the-go download of FREE audiobooks & ebooks from your public library for iPhone, Android,  iPad, iPod, Macs, PC and now BlackBerry. OverDrive Media, the largest provider of digital content to libraries, announces another resource for savvy consumers – an addition to the variety of FREE software and apps that allow users to check out digital titles from their public library straight to computers as well as mobile devices, totally tether-free – no need for a USB plug-in.

I just updated the OverDrive app on my Android phone and was glad to see fewer steps to click through, plus a much-desired “Show only available titles” check box in the Search function (wish that option was in the Browse function, too).  I’m impressed with the continuing upgrades that are making the digital download experience quicker & easier, especially as the current controversy over library eBook limitations turns the public’s attention on library downloads. It would be interesting to grab a bunch of stats on downloads from before and after the story about HarperCollins’ 26-loan limit first hit the news. I suspect it’s a case of any-publicity-is-good. I do wish digital audiobooks were mentioned in the continuing discussions on crafting equable access to materials, including the remarks by ALA President Stevens. But I am glad that librarians are getting into the game & making their voices heard – the theme in my last “Voices in My Head” column, Digital Synchronicity.

Here’s OverDrive’s complete press release:

Cleveland, April 6, 2011 – Public, school, and college libraries now provide direct EPUB eBook downloads on BlackBerry® mobile devices with the free OverDrive® Media Console™ app for BlackBerry. Users at more than 13,000 libraries worldwide can wirelessly download and enjoy EPUB eBooks, as well as MP3 audiobooks, on their BlackBerry devices. Libraries offer best-selling titles, such as “The Social Animal” by David Brooks and “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett, which can be borrowed and enjoyed using OverDrive’s app for BlackBerry. Popular business eBooks and audiobooks, as well as titles in virtually any subject, are also available from the library using the BlackBerry app.

The OverDrive app for BlackBerry is available from OverDrive’s website and the MobiHand Superstore. The app will also appear in BlackBerry App World™ in the coming weeks. To see if your library is a member of the OverDrive network, visit OverDrive Search.

OverDrive’s BlackBerry app provides untethered access to EPUB eBooks and MP3 audiobooks from the library. The app’s “Get Books” feature makes it easy to find a local library, and then brow

Ever wonder if pricey batteries make a difference in your hand-held device? A recent study conducted at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute was reported on the dealnews blog by Mitch Lipka, with results that cheapskates like me have often suspected: the expensive batteries aren’t worth the bucks. There is one exception. The Energizer Advanced Lithium battery does last longer – but also has an initial voltage surge that could be problematic. So if you circulate devices in your library or school (or have teens who devour batteries like potato chips), save some money and buy big quantities of bargain brands.

I keep a batch of portable CD players & cassette players (yes, they still exist) for student checkout in my school library – otherwise, most of these iPod generation kids have no devices to play our huge collection of audiobooks. I did try to use rechargables for awhile, but when the charge ran out at home, the kids would toss the rechargable & replace with their own AAs. Ouch $$ ! So now I use the cheapest I can find, and assuage my conscience a bit by having a BatteriesPlus recycling bucket under the checkout desk.

If you’d like to try a cool project for your techie patrons or teen groups, check out the MintyBoost! – Small battery-powered USB charger by ladyada on the Instructables website (pictured above). A great way to pack some extra power in a mini Altoids tin

Good news for libraries looking for cost-savings and cutting edge digital content. OverDrive Media’s 15,000 titles from Project  Gutenberg are free to add to your collection. This large addition of adult & children’s  classics boost the digital content available to your patrons. OverDrive has released this eBook Device Cheat Sheet for libraries & patrons, noting eReaders that are compatible with the OverDrive download software – with the notable absence of the Amazon Kindle. One plus for the Sony & Nook eReaders is that both allow multitasking – you can both listen to an MP3 audiobook file downloaded to the reader while reading an eBook text, unlike the Kindle. This functionality allows the creation of a do-it-yourself enhanced text+audio eBook!

A commonly-touted benefit for the Kindle 3 is the robotic text-to-speech function. With a little tech-savvyness, users can combine free Project Gutenberg titles with a HUMAN voice from LibriVox’s free audiobooks for a text-to-TALK enhanced eBook on the Sony Reader or Nook. I’m not sure about the other digital readers on the OverDrive cheat sheet, but I think the notation of listen-while-reading functionality would be an important addition to the cheat sheet. The combination of LibriVox+eBook expands resources for the print-disabled, English language learners, those with learning disabilities, as well as users who just like to toggle back & forth from text to listening. Of course, patrons can also combine listening to an MP3 audiobook downloaded from the public library’s OverDrive collection with the eBook as well – but if funds are low, and the library can’t purchase an audiobook for every free Project Gutenberg title, the LibriVox collection of volunteer-read books equals no-cost content. A short how-to sheet or link to the LibriVox how-to videos plus promos on the library website and at the circulation desk will alert your digital patrons to a new way to enhance their reading – especially those plugged-in high school students in British Lit classes! And soon I’ll be able to listen to LibriVox while I read on my multifuction Android phone, with the OverDrive app demonstrated in the video below! But I suspect the biggest fans of LibriVox + OverDrive Project Gutenberg classics will be the the largest category of eBook readers – those who read on their computer – sure to be a popular option for students & seniors alike!