OverDrive Read

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OverDrive LogoIf you enjoy reading library e-books on your device, but find downloading titles to be a painful process, we have good news!  OverDrive has a new option for users called “OverDrive Read.”  This allows e-books to be read in any modern web browser (such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Chrome, Safari, etc.) without the need to download.  As an added bonus, the e-books are stored “in the cloud”, which means your place will be saved no matter which device or browser you use to access the e-books.

Limitations
As with anything that seems too good to be true, there are some limitations.  For instance, if you are using a Nook or a Kindle, the e-books may not work in your browser, but OverDrive claims to be working on this.  For more on browser details, see OverDrive’s compatibility page.  Also, if you use a version of Internet Explorer prior to 10, the first time you try to access a Read title you may be asked to download and install a plug-in called, “Google Chrome Frame.”  This is necessary to view the books properly, but will only need to be done once.  Finally, and most importantly, not all e-books are available in Read format.  In fact, due to publisher restrictions, only about 60% of OverDrive e-books can be read in a browser.

Features
One nice thing is that Read titles can be accessed offline.  When you open a title, it is cached (saved) for offline access.  You can save the title to your bookmarks/favorites or save them as links on your mobile device’s home screen.  As long as you don’t clear out your cache, the e-book will be available to you for the entire lending period whether you are online or not.  Unfortunately, if you needed to install the Chrome Frame plug-in to view your book in Internet Explorer, offline reading is not supported.  We recommend upgrading to IE10 or installing an alternate browser.  Another handy feature of Read e-books is that they can be returned early from within your OverDrive account’s bookshelf.

For a step-by-step picture guide to finding and downloading Read titles, download the library’s PDF brochure.  Still have questions?  Let us know in the comments below, stop by the Reference Desk , or contact us via email or phone (518-477-7476, option 5).

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Looking for Help with Windows 8?

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w8If you recently purchased a new Windows computer or tablet, chances are it uses the Windows 8 operating system (OS) or Windows RT (a simplified version of Windows 8 for some tablets).  The latest OS marks a major change in the appearance of Windows, which has thrown many users for a loop.  Here is a collection of resources to help answer your questions:

Videos

Websites – Step by Step Tutorials

Books (links lead to Upper Hudson Library System catalog)

I hope this helps some of you to navigate and troubleshoot your new operating system.  What do you think of Windows 8?

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So Much News, So Few Posts

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busySorry for my absence, folks!  Things have been a bit crazy around here with all of the new and exciting tech projects brewing at the library.  I’ll give a quick rundown of what’s going on, and future posts will give more detail.

  • OverDrive, our service provider for downloadable e-books and audiobooks, has completely redesigned their website and checkout process.  The new site looks great on any device, and the process of borrowing titles is much more streamlined.  I have already updated our print brochures to reflect the changes, and I’m working furiously to update the website, as well.  Also, many of the e-book titles are available to read in a browser of your choice – no download required!  See our OverDrive READ brochure (PDF) for more information.  This bullet point will definitely get its own post.  Maybe two.
  • Starting in May, we are going to make laptops available for checkout within the library.  After signing an agreement, cardholders in good standing will be able to borrow a laptop from the Reference Desk for 2.5 hours.  Laptops cannot leave the building, but they will provide mobility within the library as well as the opportunity to work in groups.  Due to limitations in our printing software, they will be unable to print.  However, unlike our wired public computers, patrons will be able to temporarily save documents to the desktop for easy attachment to email.  When the laptop is shut down, any changes made by the user will be wiped out.  Head to the Reference Desk for more details.
  • In May, we will be completely revamping our public computing areas.  Our current computers are getting slow and outdated.  We will be replacing them with state-of-the art, blazing fast thin clients.  This will allow us to offer additional internet browser options,  Microsoft Office 2010, Windows 7, temporary saving of documents, and the return of many popular features, such as right-clicking!  It will also make it much easier for yours truly to keep them updated and secure.  Please be patient with us as we learn and deploy the new system.  I will keep you updated as we make progress.
  • For the last two months, library staff members have been participating in a technology training program called Connect 2 U.  The aim of this program was to help our staff become more comfortable with diving in and learning new technology tools that may be useful to both staff and patrons.  As a result, you may see more videos showing up on our YouTube channel, ranging from book reviews to tutorials on how to use library services.
  • We are exploring software options that will allow us to provide chat/text reference services to our patrons.  If all goes well, we hope to roll this out in the late summer.
  • The website we have works well on desktop computers and tablets, but the mobile site we use leaves a bit to be desired.  We’re working on an update/redesign that will be friendly to all devices, without requiring the maintenance of two separate websites.

Do you have other tech suggestions for the library? We’d love to hear them in the comments below.

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OverDrive Gets a New Look and Browser-Based Reading

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OverDrive Logo

If you use our downloadable e-books or audiobooks, you may be glad to know that the long-promised redesign and additional features, dubbed “Next Generation”, have finally arrived!  To see the new site layout, head to http://digitalcollection.uhls.org.  The short video below will explain how to browse the collection and manage your account in the new interface.  It will also introduce a great new feature – “OverDrive Read.”  This allows patrons to check out e-books and read them in a browser (online or offline) and synchronize bookmarks, last page read, etc. across devices.  Not all titles are available in OverDrive Read, but many are.

Some information to note about the new interface:

  • The new website uses “responsive design” which allows the mobile and desktop experience to be the same—optimized for any size screen regardless of a user’s device.
  • The Next Generation digital library website makes use of web technologies such as HTML 5 and CSS 3, which are not supported by some versions of Internet Explorer. If a user has IE 7 installed,  they will be immediately prompted to complete a one-time install of the Google Chrome Frame plug-in. The plug-in is free and only takes a few seconds to install. Users of IE 8 & 9 will also be prompted to install the plug-in for use of OverDrive Read (browser-based reading). Users may switch to another browser such as Firefox, Chrome, or Safari.

Let us know what you think of the new interface in the comment section below!

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When Will It Go Bad?

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Food Date Myth

No, I’m not getting philosophical – just being practical. I found a great site called “EatByDate” that can tell you how long food actually lasts under different conditions.  You can browse by category or search for a specific food.  Not only will you get specific advice based on how the item is packaged and stored, this site will also tell you how to identify spoiled foods and offer tips on extending shelf life.

Do you have a practical site you’d like to share?  Let me know in the comments.

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Apps to Help Identify a Tablet/Smartphone/Laptop Thief

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11719567_sImage credit: seewhatmitchsee / 123RF Stock Photo

We all know tablets, smartphones, and laptops are attractive targets for thieves.  Not only is the equipment inherently valuable, but think of all the data, pictures, and account information you have saved on your phone!  The time to protect yourself is before your device is stolen.

MakeUseOf.com has written some helpful posts on how to prepare your devices for the worst case scenario.  I would recommend reading two short articles: Don’t Be a Victim: Practical Tips To Protect Your Smartphone From Theft and Identify the Guy Who Stole Your Phone, Tablet, or Laptop.

If thieves make you angry, and you would like to gloat at their humiliation and capture, try Revenge of the geek: MacBook thief made a fool of on YouTube. The end of the article contains links to more stories of foiled electronics thieves.

Do you use a recovery tool not mentioned in the articles above?  Please share it the comments section below.

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OverDrive Hold Notification Glitch

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We have been notified that OverDrive had a glitch in their system which falsely notified patrons that their items were ready for download.  If you received one of these notices, and then got an error message when you tried to download, please disregard.  You will be notified again when your item is actually ready.  Sorry for the inconvenience!

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Life After iGoogle

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google-icon

Have you come to depend on iGoogle as a convenient home page with all of your favorite Google (and other) stuff in one place?  Me too.  Despite the popularity of iGoogle, Google has decided to discontinue the service after November 1, 2013.  This leaves many users scrambling for a new solution.  Whether you are an iGoogle user or not, you may find the suggestions below useful.

1.  Google Shortcuts
If you are looking for is quick access to Google products, and you use Firefox or Chrome for your browser, this add-on may help.  It does exactly what it sounds like – it adds shortcuts for Google services to the top of your browser.  You can choose which shortcuts you use by clicking the gear icon.  Here’s a clip of what the shortcuts look like on my browser (Firefox):

googleshortcuts

Warning:  the download page is in German, but the settings and operations are in English.

2. Myfav.es
If you don’t need previews of content, just quick links to your favorite sites, this may be the service for you.  There are shortcuts for many, many websites available.  No account necessary.  Here is what the homepage I created looks like:
faves

Chances are, though, that you are looking for a page with gadgets that offers previews of your email, RSS feeds, calendar, etc.  Read on for other services that offer a similar experience to iGoogle.

3.  igHome
This one is my current favorite.  The setup was easy, and in no time I had a functioning page nearly identical to my iGoogle page.  As a bonus, shortcuts to Google services are included in a toolbar at the top of the page.  If you are using the Gmail gadget, be sure to turn on IMAP in your Gmail settings and approve the igHome application to access it.

4. Netvibes
This one is a bit more complicated than igHome to set up, but more customization is available.  Also, more widgets are available than with some other customized home pages.

5. uStart.org
This solution is similar to Netvibes.  You may want to experiment with both and see which you like better.

6. MyMSN and MyYahoo
These are personalized homepages provided by their respective companies.  If you don’t need any gadgets related to Google (Gmail, Google Calendar, etc.), one of these may work well for you.

7. Skim.Me
This one looks promising, but I’m still waiting for an invitation to get in on the beta.

Have you found another solution?  If so, let me know about it in the comments.

Happy computing!

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Digital Device Roundup

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tablets

Hello everyone!  I hope you all had an enjoyable holiday season.  From the increase in questions about devices at the Reference desk, it appears e-readers and tablets were among the most popular gifts this season.  As you may know, the library offers downloadable e-books and audiobooks for use on computers, smartphones, and other digital devices.  As a general rule, if your device has a color display, the process for downloading items involves installing an app on your device.  The procedure for downloading to black & white devices varies by device (details in links below).

If you received a digital device for the holidays, or if you just want to learn more about them before you buy, read on for links to some of helpful information sources.

1.  iPad
About.com’s blog on all things iPad
Apple’s support site for iPad
iPad Academy
iPad for Dummies
Downloading library books to your iPad

2. Android Tablets (Google Nexus, Galaxy Tab, ASUS Transformer Pad, etc.)
Android 4.0 User Manual
How to use Android 4 tablets – basics (video)
Nexus Help
Nexus 7 for Dummies
Samsung Galaxy Tab for Dummies
Downloading library books to your Android tablet

3. Kindle Fire(s)
Amazon’s Kindle Support Page
Kindle Fire Tutorial Videos
Kindle Fire for Dummies
Downloading library books to your Kindle Fire

4. Other Kindles
Amazon’s Kindle Support Page
Kindle for Dummies
Downloading library books to your black & white Kindle
OverDrive Video Tutorials for Kindle

5. Nook Tablets (Color, HD, HD+)
Barnes & Noble Nook Support Page
Nook Tablet for Dummies
Nook Tablet Videos
Downloading library books to your Nook Tablet

6. Other Nooks
Barnes & Noble Nook Support Page
Nook eReader for Dummies
Nook Simple Touch Videos
Downloading library books to your Nook

7. Microsoft Surface
Unboxing the Microsoft Surface (video)
Microsoft Surface for Dummies
OverDrive Holiday Gadget Close-Up – Microsoft Surface
Downloading library books to your Microsoft Surface (Windows Phone App)

Do you have a gadget not listed here that you need help with?  Let me know in the comments, and I will be happy to add resources to this post.

Happy e-reading!

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More About Dropbox

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dropbox

After I wrote my previous post about uses for Dropbox, I found a great article by the folks at MakeUseOf that explains how to host a website using Dropbox.  It is titled, appropriately, How to Host a Simple Website Using Dropbox.  Here at the library, I often get asked how to setup a basic website.  It’s great to have another tool to share with patrons.  I haven’t tried this method myself, so I’d be interested to hear about your experience if you have used Dropbox to host your website.

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