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<TITLE>Overdrive / library2go website updated on November 18 - what do you think?</TITLE>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Hi to all -</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">If you or your patrons are users of Library2Go and use mobile devices (Apple iOS, Android or Windows Mobile products), you will want to be aware of a recent web site update that changes patron options in a significant way. See details below, including the update announcement from November 18th. If you or your patrons have comments about these new interface changes, please forward your comments to your representative for the Oregon Digital Library Consortium or to Overdrive directly. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Thanks to Lorie Vik for tracking down the announcement of the change. My opinion (and it's no one else's) and response to the changes are listed below. It's a bit long; please forgive. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Thanks for your attention, thanks to the ODLC crew for their work with Library2Go, and for all you do for Oregon library patrons every day. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Liz Paulus</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Reference Librarian / Cedar Mill Community Library</FONT>
<BR><A HREF="Http://library.cedarmill.org"><U><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Http://library.cedarmill.org</FONT></U></A>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">lizp@wccls.org</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Summary of changes (mine)</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">The good news: mobile device users can no longer download products that they can't use e.g. iOS and Android users see only MP3 downloads. Windows 7 Mobile users get to see WMAs and Videos in addition to MP3s.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">The bad news: those same users can no longer see all the content (no videos, no ebooks). In addition, all Advanced Search options have been removed, so no "what's in now?" or Subject searches to help narrow what you really want.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">As a patron, I'm bummed because I can't browse all content, put stuff on my wish list, or place holds on their website *only because I choose to surf the web using an iPhone (or iPod Touch or iPad or [name your device])*. As a librarian, I'm appalled that I have to explain to my iPhone-wielding patron, "I'm sorry sir, you'll have to step over here to log into an Internet computer to see everything that's available". I want Advanced Search back just for the "what's in now?" feature!</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">It's possible that Overdrive is planning to return this functionality in the new apps due late in December, but it seems unlikely. The demo videos don't really offer any evidence to the contrary and Overdrive is not offering details.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">I'm not happy about these changes to their website, and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone.Take a look and see what you think. Thanks for reading.</FONT></P>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Announcement from Overdrive through ContentReserve (Overdrive service)<BR>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Courier New">November 18: Mobile Versions of Library Websites Have Been Re-launched!</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Courier New">As previewed, as of November 18, OverDrive has re-launched the Mobile Versions of Library Websites. This is a step in a series of efforts to improve your patrons' download media experience.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Courier New">With this redesign, when a user visits your mobile site, their mobile operating system (OS) is detected and the site displays only titles compatible with their OS. While Android(r), iPhone(r), & Blackberry(r) users see only MP3 titles featured on the home page & in search results, Windows Mobile(r) users also see WMA Audiobooks, Music, & Video supported on their device.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Courier New">Similarly, the Help page only displays information relevant to the user's OS. The OverDrive Media Console download button in the footer also changes based on OS. This means that with a single click, users now link to install the OMC version that is right for their device.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Courier New">An image-rich interface makes the site more intuitive & easier to navigate on touchscreens, while title discoverability is enhanced with simplified searching and browing.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Courier New">While these changes improve the mobile experience immediately, they also pave the way for the early December launches of mobile versions of OverDrive Media Console for Android(r) & iPhone(r) with EPUB eBook support. These builds also include a new 'Get Books' feature--helping users find your mobile Virtual Branch from OMC. Click here to experience a sneak peek at OMC for iPhone v2.0<<A HREF="http://bit.ly/bpJV1f">http://bit.ly/bpJV1f</A>>!</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">(end of Overdrive announcement)</FONT>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">You can see the "mobile-only" site at: </FONT><A HREF="http://library2go.lib.overdrive.com/40/20/en/Default.htm"><U><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">http://library2go.lib.overdrive.com/40/20/en/Default.htm</FONT></U></A>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Try searching for something in this mobile interface (say, "ebook Patterson"), and see the error message you get:</FONT>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">"There may be titles that match your search that cannot be downloaded on this device. Visit this site on a computer; many titles can be downloaded to computers and then transferred to devices." </FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">This is a big change from Overdrive's previous mobile site, which at least offered the Advanced Search which meant you could "shop" for audio content, ebooks and video from your phone/iPod/iPad, place holds and otherwise surf almost like a full desktop computer. Overdrive has been asked, repeatedly, to add a simple "View Standard Site" or "Full Site" link at the bottom of the mobile site for those that want to use all the features of the main site. Now, they have taken away access to Advanced Search as well with no recourse to a Full Site link. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">There's a workaround of course: you can access the full library2go website on your handheld directly via this URL: </FONT><A HREF="http://library2go.lib.overdrive.com/10/397/en/Default.htm"><U><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">http://library2go.lib.overdrive.com/10/397/en/Default.htm</FONT></U></A><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial"> </FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">However, Overdrive didn't tell us that; a savvy librarian figured it out and passed it on.</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Yours in better interface design and access for users,</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Liz Paulus</FONT>
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