Category Archives: Cool Tools

Apr 12 2012

Test Drive Devices

Here’s the latest Test Drive guidelines and devices:

Test Drive™ Approved Devices

Agasio DroPad
Model: A8i
Operating System: Android 2.3
Tested: January 2012

The DroPad A8 (also named HeroTab C8) features a 7″ display and a 1GHz Samsung Cortex A8 processor. With OverDrive’s mobile app installed, users can borrow eBooks and audiobooks straight from the device. This sturdy tablet offers a multi-touch screen, solid processor, and more for an affordable price.

Test Drive Approved for:All countries

Apple iPad 2
Model: iPad 2
Operating System: iOS 5.0.1
Tested: January 2012

The iPad 2 shows off eBooks and audiobooks from an OverDrive-powered library with a dual-core A5 chip and a 9.7” high resolution multi-touch screen. With its thin design and crisp display, browsing for eBooks and audiobooks with OverDrive’s app is fun and easy.

Test Drive Approved for:All countries

BlackBerry® PlayBook™
Model: PRD-38548-001
Operating System: PlayBook OS 2.0
Tested: February 2012

The BlackBerry PlayBook offers a 1 GHz dual core processor, 1 GB of RAM, and a 7″ multi-touch screen. With OverDrive’s mobile app for the PlayBook, users can borrow eBooks and audiobooks straight from the device. Priced at $199 (USD), the PlayBook offers one of the best deals in the tablet market with its beautiful screen and solid build.

Test Drive Approved for:All countries

Kobo Vox™
Model: K0808-KBO-U
Operating System: Android 2.3.3
Tested: February 2012

The Kobo Vox sports a 7″ multi-touch screen, 8 GB internal memory, and a comfortable textured back. Install OverDrive’s mobile app for Android, and users can borrow eBooks and audiobooks straight from the device. For just $179 (USD), the Vox offers an affordable, easy to use device with nearly unparalleled international presence.

Test Drive Approved for:All countries

Pelican™ HardBack™ Cases
Model: 1075 (small) and 1085 (large)
Tested: March 2012

Pelican cases are rugged, versatile, and convenient. While commonly used by the military, these cases are also consumer friendly — easy to use, and easy to customize. You can tailor the foam in each case to fit any device securely. Pelican cases are dust-proof, shock-proof, water-proof, and come with a lifetime guarantee.

Test Drive Approved for:All countries

Sony Reader™ Wi-Fi®
Model: PRS-T1
Operating System: Sony proprietary
Tested: December 2011

Sony is first out of the gate with an eBook reader which allows users to wirelessly check out eBooks from an OverDrive-powered library without a computer. The display uses the latest E-Ink® Pearl and Clear Touch Infrared technologies which make for easy-to-read text and a responsive touch screen.

Test Drive Approved for:Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom, United States

Toshiba Thrive™
Model: AT105-T108
Operating System: Android 3.2
Tested: January 2012

The Toshiba Thrive is built around the powerful NVIDIA® Tegra™ 2 system-on-a-chip. With OverDrive’s mobile app installed, users can borrow eBooks and audiobooks straight from the device. The tablet sports a 10.1” high resolution multi-touch screen, dual-core performance, and a slip-resistant back cover that is available in six vibrant colors.

Test Drive Approved for:All countries

What is Test Drive?

  • Test Drive helps libraries successfully integrate eBook device lending into their everyday services.

How Will This Help Me?

  • Test Drive provides device recommendations, best practices, promo materials and guidelines to maximize the effectiveness of your device lending program.

Toolkit

Questions

Share your success stories

Apr 3 2012

Mysteries for Teen Boys

It can be hard getting teenagers to read, especially boys. It might take a murder, a disappearance, or a considerable amount of danger to keep them interested. The fast pace of a mystery could provide the right amount of tension needed to keep your reluctant reader turning the pages.

To find mysteries for teenage boys in NoveList:

  1. Click the Advanced Search link from the Search box on the homepage.
  2. Enter mystery in the first Search box and select GN Genre from the adjacent drop-down.
  3. Enter action packed in the second Search box and select RV Review from the adjacent drop-down.
  4. Select Teens from the Audience limiter.
  5. Click Search.

This will give you a list of mysteries sure to keep any teen boy interested.

You can learn more about this genre by using one of our Teen Mystery Genre Guides:

  1. Click the Readers’ Advisory Toolbox link from the menu on the right-hand side of the homepage.
  2. Click the Learn about Genres link from the “Browse RA Content” section.
  3. Scroll to the bottom of this page, and select Teen.
  4. Here, you’ll find guides for popular teen genres, including Mysteries.
Sep 20 2011

Kindle is Coming!!!

Amazon and OverDrive have quietly started rolling out Kindle ebook lending from public libraries, albeit in Beta.

Even though there hasn’t been any official announcement yet, some public libraries have already started lending ebooks for the Kindle. The image to the left hails from the Seattle Public Library; several other libraries are starting to list Kindle ebooks as well (as of noon today ours is not showing the image).

Plus the Device Resource Center over at OverDrive now lists the Amazon Kindle 3, Kindle DX, Kindle 1, and Kindle 2 as supported devices. The library ebooks will also work with Kindle apps and the Kindle Cloud Reader according to the public library books help page at Amazon.

Here are the key details from the Kindle library books help page:

 

Instructions on how it works once you see the above icon:

  1. Visit our eMedia Catalog
  2. Check out a Kindle book (library card required).
  3. Click on “Get for Kindle.” You will then be directed to Amazon.com to redeem your LVCCLD library loan. You may be required to login to your Amazon.com account — or create a new account — if you’re not already logged in.
  4. Choose to read the book on your Kindle device, free reading app, or Kindle Cloud Reader.

Note: Public library books require an active Wi-Fi connection for wireless delivery to a Kindle device. Library books will not be delivered via your Kindle’s 3G connection. If trying to send to a Kindle device and do not have an active Wi-Fi connection, you may instead choose to load your library book via your computer using an USB cable. Both Mac and Windows users can manage Kindle content through a USB connection.

It’s good to see that the Kindle is finally getting library ebooks. Everyone has been waiting anxiously ever since Amazon announced the Kindle would be getting access to library ebooks back in April. And it is not at all surprising that it just happens to come right before the launch of the new Sony Reader Wi-Fi in a couple of weeks that boasts on-board library ebook lending.

May 13 2011

Hamilton East Public Library Helps Those Still Struggling With Their Employment Search

Marketing for Libraries

The United States has seen an uplift in unemployment news in recent months. With the national unemployment rate falling under 9% for the first time in nearly two years and the number of those filing for unemployment benefits continuing a slow downward trend, many Americans are finally returning to work. However, the discouraged workers from 2008 and 2009 remain pessimistic with their latest unsuccessful job searches.

This is where the staff at Hamilton East Public Library of Noblesville, Ind., steps in. Department head Linda Shaw explains the various services that the library has to offer its job-seeking patrons. First and foremost, the staff starts with an educational base. The library’s Outreach Department offers classes on basic computer skills, Microsoft applications, and job searching on the Internet. Hamilton East is also partnering with Work One, an Indiana program that helps citizens assess their skills and find a job to match them.

Going beyond basic education, the Hamilton East staff offers a plethora of online resources. Job listings (state, federal, and national), resume and cover letter advice, relocation information, salary statistics, and interviewing tips are available to the public through the library website.

Another surprising yet valuable source for patrons seeking employment opportunities is the Morningstar Stock Screener. The Stock Screener (on the Home page under Companies) allows patrons to identify their criteria concerning geographic location, specific industry, size of company, and financial stability of the company. This permits library members to narrow down prospective employers and begin evaluating potential company profiles.

According to Shaw, feedback from job-hunters has been overwhelmingly positive. Despite recent employment statistics indicating a slowly improving labor market, the staff members at Hamilton East Public Library remain dedicated to easing the stress of job-seekers by simplifying their search and improving their computer-based literacy.

May 12 2011

EBSCOMobile

I have made a few changes to the EBSCO Mobile App found on the mobile website under Mobile Apps.

The default is now set to full text with PDFs turned on, images are included and the databases are limited to the ones most useful for middle/high school students.

You can use the EBSCO Mobile App on smartphones as well as  iPhones, iTouch and iPad but you may want to click the new link near the bottom of the page to install an iApp which will allow you to connect directly to EBSCO Mobile without logging in for nine months.  After nine months you will need to update your authentication key. How cool is that?  A neat feature is your searches are saved.

We have discovered a tool for eBooks which displays the EBSCO PDF articles very nicely.  We recommend if you have an iPhone/iTouch/iPad that you download a free eBook app called Stanza available at the iTunes store.

Give it a try and let me know how it works for you.

Apr 13 2011

iPad 2 Review

In an ever changing and evolving technology-hungry world, the iPad 2 hit the market about a month ago and there has been a lot of talk whether Apple has raised the bar for tablets…again. In many cases, Apple has done it again by releasing a solid product that is user friendly. I showcased the iPad 2 to my 60-something year old mom (who is a technophobe) and was pleasantly surprised to watch her figure out the interface with very limited direction from me.

The iPad 2’s strength and upgrades are in the hardware, which inevitably make the device run faster than its predecessor. Internally, it’s running a 1GHz Dual Core processor, happily dubbed A5, a step up from last year’s A4. It also boasts an 800 MHz CPU with 512 MB of RAM. Although that should seem impressive, it’s not quite as big of a change as many were anticipating.

Of course it isn’t just the hardware that’s had changes. In pure Apple fashion, the OS has also been given a slight upgrade to iOS 4.3, which included a few minor changes. The iOS upgrade is also available for the original iPad, iPhone, and 3rd and 4th generation iPod touch. Couple both the new hardware and iOS together and the iPad 2’s performance speed is pretty stellar.  I rocketed through a few levels of Angry Birds and, more importantly, easily read through a couple chapters of Heat Wave by Richard Castle, based off the awesome TV series, in OverDrive Media Console for iPad.

In regards to the iPad 2 being an eBook reading device, there are two other positives worth mentioning. It’s super thin and fairly light weight, which makes reading for extended periods of time still enjoyable. You don’t feel as though you are straining to hold it up. The device feels great in your hands whether you’re reading a book, playing a game, or just surfing the web. The second positive is in the battery life. The average user can expect more than 10 hours of battery life with continuous use, which is amazing for a tablet.

Believe it or not, the iPad 2 is not the perfect tablet (I really don’t know if that currently exists or will exist in the near future). There were a few things that surprised me that Apple did or didn’t do with the new version.

To start, the speaker was placed on the back of the device. It does not make it a great experience for listening to audiobooks or watching movies in your Netflix app. Although the speaker was improved and the sound is clearer, it still isn’t quite up to snuff. If you are in a room with a lot of ambient noise or your husband is watching Sports Center in the living room with the volume on high, you may want to use your headphones.

I expected Apple to improve the screen resolution for this version.  Although it is already high quality, I think I was just expecting more compared to what was released on the original version. Basically the screen resolution is exactly the same as the first iPad.

Lastly, the cameras are disappointing. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a step in the right direction to even have cameras on the iPad; however, Apple could have at least met some expectations in the camera department. The front facing camera is fine for Face Time and video messaging, which is all you would use that camera for. It’s the camera on the backside of the device that is disappointing. I don’t expect the quality of a lens on a high powered DSLR handheld but still, it would be appreciated to have something a little better.

Overall, the iPad 2 is a great product that could still use some tweaks in certain areas. Starting at $499, it’s pretty pricy and is considered a luxury item for most people. As I have mentioned before, the iPad 2 should not be used for only reading eBooks, especially because of the price.  I would never suggest purchasing an iPad 2 to be used only as an eBook reader. That would be like suggesting for someone to buy a new 10 piece cookware set for only the small frying pan – it’s just silly. There are many more pieces and parts to explore and utilize. The iPad 2 can do so much more than just read eBooks and should really be used for all it’s made to do to thoroughly enjoy the product.

Provided by Megan Greer who is a retail project manager for OverDrive.

Apr 8 2011

BrainFuse Update

BrainFuse – HelpNow! is updating our site within the next couple of weeks.  Not only is it going to have a new look but new exciting features as well.  Last week, I took a webinar to see what the changes would be.  I got a copy of the webinar and had Jon White cut it apart and reduce the time into small chunks for your viewing pleasure.  The videos are not great but you can get an idea how the site will look and how the exciting new features will work.  Please take a few minutes and view the videos so you won’t be surprised when the Live Homework Help looks a lot different.

To view the videos go to http://ontheroadvirtually.weebly.com/staff-videos.html and select one of the following videos to view.

  • Overview
  • Test Center & Flashbulb
  • Virtual Classroom – Note: this only requires the person setting up the meeting to have a library card.  The other users don’t need a library card to attend the meeting.
  • Brainwave & Backpack

How do you think the library could use the Virtual Classroom?

Mar 31 2011

Vote Now!

Build a Bridge to Your Library Contest Finalists Announced!

A virtual bridge, that is, connecting your library to your users using our Credo Topic Pages. The idea is simple – build a single web page using Credo Topic Pages to point to authoritative sources, images and more.

We are a finalist at Credo Reference Topic Page contest or at http://corp.credoreference.com/contest.  Please vote now for Las Vegas-Clark County Library. The other libraries are using LibGuides so they both look very similar. Voting is through April 5, 2011.

I appreciate your vote!

 

Jan 28 2011

Freegal Music Downloads

On Monday we will be launching our new service – Freegal Music Downloads.  Over the weekend, staff are welcome to try it out.  The url to access it is http://lvccld.org/library/bmm/freegalmusic.cfm.

On Monday this page will be linked to on the eMedia Tab of Books, Movies & More as well as the Music Tab under Special Music for patrons to access.

There is brief information on the Freegal page with a link at the bottom to the FAQs, Tips & Tricks page on eRead Me Vegas – Freegal tab with more in-depth answers to questions about Freegal Music.

Things you need to know:

  • Each library card is allowed 3 track (songs) downloads per week.
  • If a patron has problems with a download they have two additional opportunities to download the song.  this can be found under Recently Downloaded on the Freegal Music page after logging in.
  • Each Monday morning (early) the counts are reset for the week.
  • If a patron does not download during the week, they don’t get additional downloads the following week.
  • It does work on an iPhone/iTouch but when I experimented with it I did have issues.  The search by artist name did not function well and I clicked the download link it played but I couldn’t find it on the iTouch to play again.  I had to go my Recently Downloaded link and download to my computer then transfer it to my iTouch.

Please give a try and if you have any questions or comments please post them here so everyone can see them.

 

Jan 7 2011

Buying eBooks? Try LibraryBIN & Save 35%

This year, we want to help library customers get the ebook or eAudio titles they want for their new devices. We have been ‘stocking’ up our eMedia Catalog with new eBooks and eAudio books but they are flying off the virtual shelves!

If you don’t want to wait for a title to be returned try the newest digital bookstore from OverDrive. It is like an online library gift shop, offering our patrons the chance to buy popular and best-selling eBooks and audiobooks, with most of the LibraryBIN profits going back to LVCCLD.

Each time an eBook or audiobook is purchased, the customer has the option of supporting LVCCLD library’s fund so we can buy more eBooks and audiobooks for our eMedia Catalog.

It’s easy! To avoid long waiting lists on popular titles,

  1. Select the LibraryBIN icon in the eMedia Catalog or look for the link -
  2. At LibraryBIN, find books you want to buy.
  3. Add them to your shopping cart.
  4. During checkout, you will be asked to confirm the library that will receive funds from the purchase. Please specify Las Vegas-Clark County Library District (NV).

As a Thank You you can get 35% off your first purchase by using the code: FIRSTBIN

Dec 10 2010

Your Library is on the Phone!

The AccessMyLibrary Public Edition App

Now it’s easy to bring your library to your patrons.

Boost usage by encouraging them to download the AccessMyLibrary Public Edition mobile app from Gale. AccessMyLibrary uses GPS to find public libraries* within a 10-mile radius of the user’s location, then gives them free, unlimited access to your reputable, authoritative Gale online resources — without the need to authenticate.

Get the free AccessMyLibrary Public Edition mobile app for your device using one of the QR codes or links below.

Watch the video to see the app in action and try it out yourself. Then tell your patrons to download the free AccessMyLibrary Public Edition app.

Watch the video »

Oct 22 2010

How to Buy an eBook Reader

Looking to buy an eBook Reader and don’t know which one to choose?

I can help! Attend one of three eBook Reader Workshops offered in November and December and learn which eBook Reader meets your needs. You will also learn how to download eBooks from the Library’s eMedia Catalog for free!

Join us for an informative workshop on one of these dates:

November 3, 2010 – Sahara West Library 10:30am – 11:30am

November 18, 2010 – Centennial Hills Library 10:30am – 11:30am

December 1, 2010 – Summerlin Library 10:30am – 11:30am