Welcome the wonderful world of digital books. Watch this video to learn how to use our Overdrive collection. You’ll be able to download books right to your computer. No waiting in line and better yet, no driving around to get the books you want. As with any new technology, sometimes there can be a few glitches the first few times you use it. So if you have any questions, just give us a call at 206-386-4636. We’ll help you figure it out.
Getting Started with Downloadable Books: Overdrive
Categories: Programs & Services
4 responses to “Getting Started with Downloadable Books: Overdrive”
-
You’ll be able to download books right to your computer.
Not if you use a Mac. Please make this clear on your website! Not everyone uses Windows, and it’s very frustrating to try to use a public library digital service only to discover that it requires a specific operating system.
I did not find any mention of this limitation on the digital books & media page:
http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=collection_digibooks -
Heather,
I can assure you that we share your frustrations about the limited cross-platform formats available to us for the downloadable media. If the publishers (who want Digital Rights Management software) and Microsoft (who makes the preferred Digital Rights formats) and Apple (who uses their own Digital Rights format) could all get together and agree on one open standard, things would be much easier for all of us. For now public libraries have limited options for making this downloadable content available to library users.
We do make slight notation on the page you mentioned about Mac/iPod compatibility in the tables for NetLibrary and Overdrive:
NetLibrary
Transfer to portable devices (not compatible with Mac or iPod)
Overdrive
Transfer to portable devices (MP3 audiobooks are compatible with iPod)Recently, Overdrive was able to expand their services to Mac users as well as make deals with some publishers to allow the open mp3 format for use on iPods (used either with Windows or Mac computers). The Overdrive ebooks (PDF with Adobe Digital Editions) are also compatible with Mac computers.
In order to use the Overdrive Mac compatible content, you’ll need to download the OverDrive Media Console for Mac. Follow these steps:
1. From the library homepage, click on Digital Books and Media
2. Scroll down and click on Go to OverDrive Digital Books & Media
3. On the Overdrive Digital Books and Media homepage, scroll down and click the button in the lower left hand corner of the page called “Overdrive Media Console”
4. Even though the next page is all about Overdrive for Windows, if you click on “Click to download OverDrive Media Console” you will be taken to a screen that gives you the option for the Mac version (right side of screen).After downloading and installing the Media Console for Mac, you should be able to make use of the MP3 formatted titles, as well as the Adobe ebooks.
I’ll take your comments to our Web Office to see how we can make the information more clear on the main digital books page of our website. Thank you for taking the time to comment on this confusing and frustrating issue!
-Toby
-
Toby,
Thank you for the clarification about some titles being usable on a Mac now!
Whenever I moan about wishing I could dowload library books to my Mac, my friend reminds me that I could do it if I chose to have both Windows and Mac OS installed on my computer. It’s relatively easy to switch between the operating systems — he does it.
I just haven’t done it because the only reason I’d want Windows on my Mac is to download books.
So I’m really glad I can already access some on my regular Mac!
Thanks!
-
Thank you so much for these clear steps on downloading for those of us who love our Macs, our iPods and audio books.
Leave a Comment