The Tech Petting Zoo

Spent the morning with technology and am happy to say none of the animals in this zoo bites.

An iPod Touch is a wonderful device, though for the purpose of reading books, probably not my first choice. For pure pleasure of reading a lovely font, Kindle wins, though the Sony Reader isn't far behind. Ease of use, possibly the Sony Reader. for a more considered opinion see this, linked to from the downloadables LibGuide.

Will this library system buy e-readers for patrons to check out? In the immortal words of MatMan, "No. No. No. Nononono. No. Never." But if his prediction of a $99 Kindle for Christmas comes true, more people might be able to afford their own.

Other pass-alongs for the rest of the team:

* Don't feel you have to answer every question patrons have on how to download audiobooks or ebooks to their computers or mobile devices. We don't have to know all the devices, just where to direct people for Professional Help from Certified Geeks.
The updated LibGuide has clear instructions and links for more specific answers and help from live people.

* Circulation staff should feel free to share information about the system's collection of electronic materials, and to point patrons to the LibGuide for further information.

* Circ staff also should be aware when replacing lost library cards that while holds on physical materials transfer, holds on downloadables don't. There is a link under "Troubleshooting" on the LibGuide to a form the patron must fill out to transfer holds on electronic books.

* Use of ebooks in the system has increased 92 percent (to 6,911) in the past fiscal year, and use of downloadable audiobooks has grown 58 percent. By the way, the new nomenclature will be "eAudiobooks," like it or not.

* NetLibrary aka One-Click Audio has Pimsleur language tapes, a good thing to know since they are popular and we have few hard copies.

* NetLibrary's titles are always available. On OverDrive, do an advanced search to limit titles shown to those available for immediate checkout if the patron wants something to listen to right away.

* You can't place a hold on an ebook or eAudiobook directly from the catalogue; the patron needs to go to the OverDrive site. That might change as we migrate to Enterprise.

* More eAudiobooks are now iPod compatible. Ebooks don't download to Kindle not because the library doesn't like Kindle but because of Amazon's digital rights management.

* DRM also explains the differences in numbers of copies available of downloadable audio. NetLibrary (Recorded Books) has contracts with various parties, including publishers, authors and agents, and they may limit available copies or formats. Simon & Schuster, for example, NetLibrary's Dave Wiley explained, doesn't want the MP3format, which has little DRM and is easily bootlegged. (He did muse as to how many audiobook bootleggers there actually are out there...) The trend is toward MP3 and as that format is added, NetLibrary will simply convert titles in its collection. OverDrive has a different business model, however, and would have to sell MP3 formatted audiobooks as new copies.

* The system is part of a statewide consortium that purchases ebooks, with selection of titles rotating among the partners.

* The technology, both hardware and software, evolves quickly as does DRM, so keep checking the vendor sites for changes. Just recently, for example, NetLibrary upped its checkout limit from 10 titles to 50. Whoever reaches that number could probably literally say, "I'm all ears."

* The next Quarterly Exploration is on downloadables, so stay tuned for further adventures and frustrations in Gizmoland.

As Easy as 1, 2, 3 ... but Who's Counting?

Today's self assignment, pre-Tech Petting Zoo, was to put necessary software onto computer and then download an audio book to play on shiny new iPod Nano 4. Or maybe 5.

Easy as pi according to the Maryland Digital eLibrary Consortium:
•Step 1 - Download and install free software
•Step 2 - Activate the software
•Step 3 - Check out, download, and enjoy.

Make that pi to the 100th place. I should have taken notes, but this is how it went.

1. Recharged iPod, which runs out of charge even if it's turned off. (3 hours, using handy AC adapter plug.)

2. Read useful Library Journal article with handy PDF on differences among NetLibrary, OverDrive and Ingram Digital, ignoring the latter since we don't have it. Find that to download from OverDrive to iPod, the computer needs to have iTunes and the OverDrive Media Console, plus updated Windows Media Player. (30 minutes, simultaneously with #1.)

3. Installed iTunes on computer. First effort stalled out at 17 percent complete after 45 minutes. Second effort went through in 30 minutes. Heaven knows what I agreed to when clicking "I agree" on their mandatory security agreement. It installed iTunes set up on my desktop.

4. Clicked on the iTunes setup to find iTunes itself was not yet installed. Went through a bunch of clicking and eventually ended up with two more things on the desktop.

5. Proceeded to OverDrive's Media Console download. This went quickly until:

6. It told me to upgrade my Windows Media Player Security Certificate. I clicked on a bunch more buttons and got a message telling me I needed to save my updated Security Certificates. I told it to remind me later. On to:

7. Selection of a book to download. I browsed the iPod-compatible titles, selected "Inkheart" because it was available and I haven't read it, went to the checkout and whizzed through that until a dialogue box popped up telling me of a DRM Active X Network Object problem.

8. Clicked on a bunch more buttons and that seemed to work, bringing me to:

9. Selecting parts of the book to download. I chose 7 of the 14 parts but after a long while only 1.5 had loaded. Meanwhile,

10. I read the OverDrive instructions on transferring an MP3 audiobook to an iTunes library on Windows. Uh-oh, I thought, looking back at "Inkheart," as it slowly loaded. This says it's WMA, not MP3, even though it was under the iPod-compatible heading.

11. Aborted further slow downloading of remainder of first half of "Inkheart," and attempted to follow transfer instructions by hitting the Transfer button on the OMC. It told me it couldn't find my device, which I didn't know it wanted since the instructions said it would look for iTunes and iTunes was right there on the desktop.

12. Decided would risk blowing up shiny new iPod and possibly entire library branch by attaching iPod to CPU with USB bungee cord.

13. Shiny new iPod insists it needs USB 2.0 port or 2.0 card installed. Shiny new plug did not fit into dull old USB port.

14. Listened to 30 seconds of "Inkheart" played on WMP on computer. Unfort. cannot fit computer in pocket for listening while taking long walk desperately needed after latest Adventures With Technology.