Go to the Playstore (or Amazon Appstore). Search for "Overdrive". Download the Overdrive Media Console.
When it's on your Fire, go into the settings. To get there, it's the middle icon at the very top right. Looks like three vertical lines.
Put in your Adobe ID (e-mail address) and password. If you don't have one, get one using the button for getting one. Then put it in.
Go back to the library view.
Click on the symbol of a book at the very top right (left of the 3 icons).
Add a library.
Search for your library. Pick the right one out of the list. Click the star. Click the library.
Go to the library's Overdrive page (clicking the library will take you there.)
Search for a book.
Find one. Make sure it's Epub. If you get the Kindle version, you can still check it out, but you have to read it through your Fire and it's a few different steps.
Check it out. Download it.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Monday, January 14, 2013
Overdrive errors: The parameter is incorrect aka error 0x80070057
As a reference librarian, I get to deal with e-books and Overdrive a lot, if you can't tell from previous posts.
Today, I got to walk a patron through deleting her DRM folder. First, she told me her error was "Parameters are incorrect". From there, we found that she had Windows XP, and that it's a fairly common error.
To fix it, I googled it. "Parameters are incorrect overdrive". One of the first links I pulled up was this: Fixing: error 0×80070057: The parameter is incorrect for OverDrive media console .
From there, they'd posted what Overdrive tech support has posted to several people. Below is a quote of the fix for "The parameter is incorrect".
Sincerely,
So if anyone runs into this problem, I hope this helps. It worked for my patron who hadn't been able to download several different e-books.
Today, I got to walk a patron through deleting her DRM folder. First, she told me her error was "Parameters are incorrect". From there, we found that she had Windows XP, and that it's a fairly common error.
To fix it, I googled it. "Parameters are incorrect overdrive". One of the first links I pulled up was this: Fixing: error 0×80070057: The parameter is incorrect for OverDrive media console .
From there, they'd posted what Overdrive tech support has posted to several people. Below is a quote of the fix for "The parameter is incorrect".
Overdrive:
We are sorry that your patron is having difficulty downloading OverDrive Audio Books. We think the error they are receiving can be resolved by resetting the DRM (Digital Rights Management) for Windows Media Player. Please ask the patron to perform the following steps to reset the DRM and let us know what results they get:
1. First, please delte the DRM folder on your computer. Depending on your OS, it can be found in different locations:
* Windows 2000 and XP: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\DRM
* Windows 98: C:\Windows\All Users\DRM
* Windows Millennium Edition: C:\Windows\DRM
If you cannot find the folder, it may be ‘hidden’. Please use the following steps to view hidden files and folders.
* In Windows Explorer go to Tools > Folder Options > View
* Under ‘Hidden files and folders’ heading, make the following changes:
o Select ‘Show Hidden Files and Folders’
o Un-check ‘Hide Protected Operating System Files’
* Click the button ‘Apply to All Folders’. This will ensure the changes affect all folders on the system.
2. Re-run the Windows Media Player Security Upgrade from the OverDrive Media Console under the ‘Tools’ menu.
3. Attempt to download an OverDrive Audio Book.
We apologize for the difficulty. Please let us know if this resolves the error or if the patron requires further assistance. Thank you.
Sincerely,
The Library Reserve Support Team
So if anyone runs into this problem, I hope this helps. It worked for my patron who hadn't been able to download several different e-books.
Friday, January 11, 2013
GED books? Sorry, we have none.
They seem to have grown legs and walked out. Or somebody decided to keep them as a new pet. Or a way to keep their coffee table level. Or to learn how to walk properly.
Either way, we don't have any on the shelf. Actually, most libraries around us don't. They seem to be the most popular book that people either like to keep or steal.
Luckily for us, we do have access to an awesome database. You might have heard of it. It's called the Learning Express Library. It's not just for GED, either.
It has SAT, ACT and a few other practice tests. It has computer tests, career tests, tests to help you remember your English lit and your history. And a bunch of other tests.
Not just tests, either. Just e-books and courses. And it's free as long as your library subscribes to it.
Thankfully for all of our GED-seekers, my library does.
ETA: We had a 2005 GED book returned the other day! No idea where it came from, but it was in such bad shape that I pulled it.
Either way, we don't have any on the shelf. Actually, most libraries around us don't. They seem to be the most popular book that people either like to keep or steal.
Luckily for us, we do have access to an awesome database. You might have heard of it. It's called the Learning Express Library. It's not just for GED, either.
It has SAT, ACT and a few other practice tests. It has computer tests, career tests, tests to help you remember your English lit and your history. And a bunch of other tests.
Not just tests, either. Just e-books and courses. And it's free as long as your library subscribes to it.
Thankfully for all of our GED-seekers, my library does.
ETA: We had a 2005 GED book returned the other day! No idea where it came from, but it was in such bad shape that I pulled it.
Overdrive: Kindle App vs Overdrive App
If you have a tablet or a smartphone, you have two basic choices. You can get the Overdrive app or the Kindle app. Which one you want depends on what you need it for.
Do you want to listen to audiobooks? If so, then rule the Kindle app out. It's strictly for e-books, so go with the Overdrive app (aka Overdrive Media Console).
If you're reading just e-books, then read on.
Do you have multiple libraries you're using? If so, go with the Overdrive app. You can add multiple libraries to the "My Library" list. If one library doesn't have the new book you want, the other one might.
Do you already have the Kindle app and don't want to install another app? Then stick with the Kindle app. You'll have to use your browser (Chrome, IE etc) to get to the library's website to get the books, but you won't have to install another app.
Do you want one-stop-shopping? Then go with the Overdrive app. You pick what library you want to get your new book from, and it opens up right in Overdrive. Everything, actually, is done from the Overdrive app once you get it downloaded.
The one drawback (in my mind) of the Overdrive app is that to use it the first time (to get that first book), you have to get an Adobe ID. It's free, so don't worry about it charging your credit card. But it's your e-mail address and a password. You can register for one right on the Adobe website.
As for ease of use, I find the Overdrive app easier to use and more convenient. The Kindle app is nice if I don't want to get another app, but there are a few more steps since it takes you to the Amazon store to check out the books (a marketing way of trying to get you to buy it), but it's not too bad to use once you get used to it.
Do you want to listen to audiobooks? If so, then rule the Kindle app out. It's strictly for e-books, so go with the Overdrive app (aka Overdrive Media Console).
If you're reading just e-books, then read on.
Do you have multiple libraries you're using? If so, go with the Overdrive app. You can add multiple libraries to the "My Library" list. If one library doesn't have the new book you want, the other one might.
Do you already have the Kindle app and don't want to install another app? Then stick with the Kindle app. You'll have to use your browser (Chrome, IE etc) to get to the library's website to get the books, but you won't have to install another app.
Do you want one-stop-shopping? Then go with the Overdrive app. You pick what library you want to get your new book from, and it opens up right in Overdrive. Everything, actually, is done from the Overdrive app once you get it downloaded.
The one drawback (in my mind) of the Overdrive app is that to use it the first time (to get that first book), you have to get an Adobe ID. It's free, so don't worry about it charging your credit card. But it's your e-mail address and a password. You can register for one right on the Adobe website.
As for ease of use, I find the Overdrive app easier to use and more convenient. The Kindle app is nice if I don't want to get another app, but there are a few more steps since it takes you to the Amazon store to check out the books (a marketing way of trying to get you to buy it), but it's not too bad to use once you get used to it.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Spelling is important & yes, I know how to research.
And knowing how to spell, as a librarian, is very important.
I had a teen come up to me asking if we had any books on fersous? (That was about how it was pronounced.)
After a few questions on my side, she told me she really needed books on the elements. Especially zinc and fersous. When she said elements, I asked her if it was phosphorus. Her eyes lit up. Bingo!
Another variation of needing to know how to spell is authors. Now, I don't know all authors. That's just impossible and silly. But knowing how to spell the most popular author names, like Clancy, Steele and Auel comes in handy when we get the questions about a new book they've put out.
The second part to this post is something that sometimes irks me.
When a patron calls up with a specific request. Something like "I'm looking for an encyclopedia about criminals published in the 30s."
Okay. So I do my normal searches. Library catalot. MeL catalog. WorldCat. When those three fail, I go to my backup. Google, Abebooks and Amazon.
When those three fail, I tell the patron that I'm sorry but I can't find what he's looking for.
He proceedes to tell me "Did you try google?" "Can you search by copyright?" "Did you search in MeL by date?"
Now, like a lot of reference librarians, I went to school (graduate school) for what I'm doing. I took classes on searching, reference, cataloging and more. It's a rare thing when I can't find the answer to a reference question like that - if the answer exists, more often than not, I'm going to find it because I know how to search for books.
When a patron acts like I need to be told every step to take to find a specific book he wants, it's annoying.
Like any good librarian, though, I hide my annoyance. I tell him that while I didn't find that exact book, I found others that are newer. They aren't what he wants, though, and he questions my searching skills.
On the other hand, I get patrons who just want me to google something for them. Which I do happily. Then, I pick the best two or three links that explain what they want to know.
I had a teen come up to me asking if we had any books on fersous? (That was about how it was pronounced.)
After a few questions on my side, she told me she really needed books on the elements. Especially zinc and fersous. When she said elements, I asked her if it was phosphorus. Her eyes lit up. Bingo!
Another variation of needing to know how to spell is authors. Now, I don't know all authors. That's just impossible and silly. But knowing how to spell the most popular author names, like Clancy, Steele and Auel comes in handy when we get the questions about a new book they've put out.
The second part to this post is something that sometimes irks me.
When a patron calls up with a specific request. Something like "I'm looking for an encyclopedia about criminals published in the 30s."
Okay. So I do my normal searches. Library catalot. MeL catalog. WorldCat. When those three fail, I go to my backup. Google, Abebooks and Amazon.
When those three fail, I tell the patron that I'm sorry but I can't find what he's looking for.
He proceedes to tell me "Did you try google?" "Can you search by copyright?" "Did you search in MeL by date?"
Now, like a lot of reference librarians, I went to school (graduate school) for what I'm doing. I took classes on searching, reference, cataloging and more. It's a rare thing when I can't find the answer to a reference question like that - if the answer exists, more often than not, I'm going to find it because I know how to search for books.
When a patron acts like I need to be told every step to take to find a specific book he wants, it's annoying.
Like any good librarian, though, I hide my annoyance. I tell him that while I didn't find that exact book, I found others that are newer. They aren't what he wants, though, and he questions my searching skills.
On the other hand, I get patrons who just want me to google something for them. Which I do happily. Then, I pick the best two or three links that explain what they want to know.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Lost & Found in a Library
In a large library, we get a lot of patrons who bring in their personal objects. Phones, laptops, iPods, we get it all. Glasses, hats, gloves, necklaces, we've found them all. Wallets? Got those, too. Strollers? Surprised? We've had two name-brand, expensive strollers left behind from children's events.
What's surprising is the number of things that are turned in. Wallets and phones; that winter coat? We've had them all turned in to us at some point.
Sometimes, though, they go missing. Flashdrives are a common thing for people to pocket since they're palm-sized. Another thing that goes missing are phones. While they're usually turned in, sometimes we'll get a phone call asking if we have one that isn't in our lost and found basket.
Weirdest thing I've found? Someone's hoodie in the back of the stacks.
While weeding older books in the science section (500s for you DDC people), I've found flowers and leaves dried in the appropriate classification books. Bookmarks that are old, recipes, prescriptions and notes are all pretty common things to find in older books.
What's surprising is the number of things that are turned in. Wallets and phones; that winter coat? We've had them all turned in to us at some point.
Sometimes, though, they go missing. Flashdrives are a common thing for people to pocket since they're palm-sized. Another thing that goes missing are phones. While they're usually turned in, sometimes we'll get a phone call asking if we have one that isn't in our lost and found basket.
Weirdest thing I've found? Someone's hoodie in the back of the stacks.
While weeding older books in the science section (500s for you DDC people), I've found flowers and leaves dried in the appropriate classification books. Bookmarks that are old, recipes, prescriptions and notes are all pretty common things to find in older books.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
One Just For Fun
Three minutes before closing, we got a phone call. Since we were still open, I answered it.
The patron wanted to know if I could tell her what movies were coming out next month. After telling her that we were closing in just a couple minutes, I quickly tracked down the upcoming dvds in February.
I told her that there were quite a few of them, and reiterated that we were closing in three minutes. She told me that that was all right and that she was a fast writer.
With an inner sigh, I quickly read through the list.
She replied with "I thought Skyfall was coming out then?"
I went to the next month and there was Skyfall, which I told her. She then wanted me to read through all of the next two months (February and March.)
Still before closing, I blazed through them. Then, she wanted April's upcomings, which weren't out yet. After telling her that, she told me she really wanted to know the upcoming Disney dvds.
After getting to the website, the closing call came across the intercom. I told her that we were now closed.
"Okay."
"You can call back tomorrow at 10 and someone will be happy to help you," I told her.
"Okay."
At a loss for words, I simply said, "You have a nice night" and hung up on her.
The patron wanted to know if I could tell her what movies were coming out next month. After telling her that we were closing in just a couple minutes, I quickly tracked down the upcoming dvds in February.
I told her that there were quite a few of them, and reiterated that we were closing in three minutes. She told me that that was all right and that she was a fast writer.
With an inner sigh, I quickly read through the list.
She replied with "I thought Skyfall was coming out then?"
I went to the next month and there was Skyfall, which I told her. She then wanted me to read through all of the next two months (February and March.)
Still before closing, I blazed through them. Then, she wanted April's upcomings, which weren't out yet. After telling her that, she told me she really wanted to know the upcoming Disney dvds.
After getting to the website, the closing call came across the intercom. I told her that we were now closed.
"Okay."
"You can call back tomorrow at 10 and someone will be happy to help you," I told her.
"Okay."
At a loss for words, I simply said, "You have a nice night" and hung up on her.
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