Introducing OverDrive Downloadable Audiobooks
1. What do I need to get an OverDrive digital audio book?
2. How do I check out a book?
3. How many titles can I check out?
4. How long do I keep titles?
5. How many titles can I have in my Cart at the same time?
6. Can I return a book early?
7. I want a title that is checked out. What do I do?
8. What happens when I place a digital book on hold?
9. What happens if I miss the 48-hour hold time?
10. How many digital books can I put holds on at once?
11. How do I cancel a hold?
12. What can I do, right now, on a library computer?
13. How do I download?
14. How do I return the book?
15. How do digital books work?
16. What software do I need to use digital books?
17. How do I listen to a digital book after I've downloaded it?
18. How do I go back and download the other parts?
19. What happens to a digital book when I've finished it?
20. How do I transfer the book to an MP3 player or burn to a CD?
21. What happens to the CD or MP3 player-version after the two weeks?
22. Do OverDrive checkouts appear on Merlin?
23. Can I use my IPod?
24. What device should I buy to listen?
25. Who can check out an audiobook?
26. Why is so much checked out?
27. Why aren’t there more audiobook titles?
1. What do I need to get an OverDrive digital audio book?
- A Merlin library card (with less than $10 in fines and not expired) or non-Merlin library ID.
- Access to the Internet—to search for titles and to download.
- OverDrive Media Console software—freely available on the website.
2. How do I check out a book?
Browse the collection or the featured lists from the homepage— http://dbooks.wplc.info/ (You will also be able to find titles on Merlin with direct links to OverDrive. Merlin will not indicate availability status.) The OverDrive homepage is frequently updated with changing featured titles. A choice between quick search and advanced search options makes the search process similar to websites such as Amazon.
Clicking on a title will access the item record. Click on “Add to my Cart” to begin checkout, or click "Place a Hold" to access the waiting list. Choose to either “Continue Browsing,” or “Proceed to Checkout.”
Once you are in checkout, select Northern Waters Library Service and type your Merlin library card number or non-Merlin library ID.
An item is checked out as soon as the “confirm checkout” button is clicked. Note: checking out and downloading books are separate processes. The 7-day checkout period begins when you confirm checkout, not when you first download.
3. How many titles can I check out?
Four. This number will increase as the collection grows.
4. How long do I keep titles?
One week. This may change as the collection grows.
5. How many titles can I have in my Cart at the same time?
Six. This lets you “shop” for titles before making a final checkout decision. If you decide not to check out a title, you can click “remove” in the cart. The system automatically removes a title from a Cart after 30 minutes.
6. Can I return a book early?
No. OverDrive audiobooks cannot be returned early.
7. I want a title that is checked out. What do I do?
You may place a hold on any title. A record's Format Information displays the number of “Available Copies” and the number of “Library Copies.” If there are no copies available, the “Add to Cart” link is replaced by “Place a Hold.” You then log in and leave an email address.
8. What happens when I place a digital book on hold?
The title you put on hold will be reserved for you once it becomes available. When it is available, you will get an email with instructions to check the book out. The book will be held for 72 hours from the time of your email notification. If you do not check it out within 72 hours, it will become available for the next person in the hold queue.
9. What happens if I miss the 72-hour hold time?
You may check out the item if it is available or place another hold.
10. How many digital books can I reserve at one time?
Five.
- From any page, choose the 'My Account' button.
- Log in to your account.
- Click the 'My Holds' link.
- Click the 'Remove' link next to the title.
12. What can I do on a library computer?
On a library computer you can search, put items in a cart or on hold, and check out. You cannot download or listen to Overdrive books in the library—you need to download the items from home or another location.
13. How do I download?
"Checking Out" and "Downloading" are two separate actions. The two-week checkout begins when you check out, not when you start downloading. Before you download the first book, you need to download OverDrive Media Console software. There is a download link on every page, in the lefthand toolbar (“Download OverDrive Media Console”).
1. After you’ve confirmed checkout, you have the option to 'download.' When you click 'download', OverDrive Media Console opens and a dialog box appears asking which folder to put the item in (this will have a destination already set). Click 'OK'.
2. All books are split into parts; each part takes up one audio CD. You can download all parts or just a few, and come back for more.
Select the parts you desire, and click 'OK' to start the download. Once the download is complete, you can close your Internet connection and listen to the book offline.
14. How do I return the book?
At the end of the loan period, the title expires and is automatically returned to the library. You can then delete the expired file from your machine.
15. How do digital books work?
A 'digital audiobook' is a “digital version of an audiobook that is rights-protected and optimized for download.” All titles are unabridged.
Each digital audio download consists of two parts: the content and the “wrapper.” The content is the actual text being read, recorded in a digital format. This is similar to any MP3 song, or free audio content available online.
The “wrapper” is data that includes the expiration date and other pieces of metadata. The wrapper is part of the “digital rights management” (DRM) software that lets publishers feel confident about the entire technology. The wrapper is like a key and keeps track of the date, and is deleted at the end of the circ period. Without a wrapper you can’t listen to a book on the OverDrive Media Console.
The content isn’t automatically deleted—it stays on your computer, but can’t be listened to, unless you check the book out again and get a new “wrapper.”
16. What software do I need to use digital books?
OverDrive Media Console is available for desktop and laptop computers with Microsoft Windows operating systems. This software works with Windows Media Player, which you also need. You can’t automatically use OverDrive with IPod systems.
17. How do I listen to a digital book after I've downloaded it?
OverDrive Media Console automatically saves a copy of the audio book to your computer. To listen to an audiobook, open OverDrive Media Console and double click the title.
You can move to different parts of the book to listen to them. The software has listening features, including speed listening and going back 15 seconds.
18. How do I go back and download the other parts?
Login to 'My Account' on the OverDrive homepage. You’ll see two links: 'Checked Out' and 'My Holds.' Go to 'Checked Out' and continue to download as before.
19. What happens to a digital book when I've finished it?
The content of a downloaded digital book stays on your computer, even after it has expired or been returned, until you manually delete the digital book file.
To delete an expired OverDrive audio book file:
1. Open OverDrive Media Console.
2. Locate the audiobook you wish to delete in the 'Media Library'. Single-click on the title to select it, then click the 'Delete' button.
20. How do I transfer the book to an MP3 player or burn to a CD?
Please Note: As of September, OverDrive has begun adding audiobooks that prohibit burning audiobooks to CDs. You will be able to tell if your audiobook allows CD burning by viewing the Digital Rights Information section at the bottom of each title page on the OverDrive website.
To burn your audiobook to CD, open the OverDrive Media Console and click on 'Transfer/Burn'. This opens Windows Media Player, where you can either burn a CD or transfer to a supported MP3 player. Supported devices are listed at http://www.playsforsure.com
Copying to an MP3 device through Windows Media Player can’t be done on library computers at this time.
21. What happens to the CD or MP3 player-version after the one week?
The content remains on the MP3 player and you can listen to it as long as you'd like. The same is true for a CD—once you’ve burned it, it remains on your CD. Note that a typical book may be 10 parts or more, and each part equals one CD.
22. Do OverDrive checkouts appear on Merlin?
No. The OverDrive website is entirely separate from Merlin. Merlin will not display the status of OverDrive checkouts or holds.
23. Can I use my IPod?
OverDrive uses the WMA (Windows Media Audio) format. The IPod uses the AAC format. That means you can’t download directly from OverDrive and listen via an IPod. Of course, IPod users can take audio files off any CD and convert them into AAC for an IPod through ITunes.
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24. What device should I buy to listen?
All supported devices are listed on the website: http://www.playsforsure.com
25. Who can check out an audiobook?
The Wisconsin Public Library Consortium (WPLC) purchased this product. Nearly all of Wisconsin's 17 public library systems belong to WPLC. Additional Wisconsin libraries may join the WPLC in 2006.
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26. Why is so much checked out?
The WPLC collection is available throughout the state. An item can only be checked out to one user at a time. Content is increasing to help balance the needs of users. If you wish to view only available items, go to Ready To Go.
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27. Why aren’t there more audiobook titles?
You're likely to see changes as the market matures. OverDrive has negotiated rights to several books-on-tape vendors. The collection will grow as the number of competitors in this very new market grows, and as more vendors agree to sell rights to their audiobooks to OverDrive.
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