OverDrive launches new website

A new OverDrive site is coming to you on November 9^th.  The site has a cleaner look with less clutter.  You can visit our current site for a preview.

 

What will you see:

·         The site promises to be faster and easier to navigate.

·         You will be able to sign in with either a library card and PIN, an overdrive account, or a facebook account. Because we have an Advantage Collection (where we purchase material exclusively for our users), you will not need to choose the library after the first time you sign in.  Using cookies on your computer or device, OverDrive will remember which library you are using.

 

 

·         Browse collection based on subject terms.

·         When logged in, you can see what titles you currently have in your loans (borrowed), on hold, etc., in the banner on top of the book cover.

 

 

·         The book icon at the top of the page is a shortcut taking you right to your loan page.

 

·         Auto complete is enabled in the quick search, offering suggested titles, authors, etc, that begin with your first letters/words typed.

 

·         You can now choose a lending limit from a "Borrow" drop-down menu on the item.

 

 

·         A "recommend to read" list will appear after you place a hold, displaying titles similar to the one on which a hold was placed.

 

 As always, if you have any questions about this service, you can ask for assistance by sending an email to overdrive@valleylibrary.ca

Charlotte Janes,

Systems and Collections Access Coordinator

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book a book from your reading nook!

Say you just got home with your library haul. You have a huge stack of books and dvds  to keep yourself out of trouble and in your reading nook for the next 3 weeks. You settle in, and start at the top of the pile. It’s an impulse pick that happens to be something by an author that you’ve always been meaning to check out but never have.  It grabs you. You DEVOUR it. You’ve closed the back cover before the snow has melted on your boots by the door.

Here’s the thing. You have 3 weeks before the rest of your books are due and you will probably find a few in your pile that are just great, but this one was something special. You start to wonder; how many more are there by this writer? Does my favourite library branch have them? Will they be on the shelf for me next time I’m there? Will I even remember to look for them after 3 weeks of (insert your busy thing here) passes by?

Time to climb out of your reading nook (or pick up your phone/ipad). Time to BOOK A BOOK!

Placing a hold at www.valleylibrary.ca can be fast and easy as long as you don’t get sidetracked and end up browsing through titles that you didn’t know you wanted to read.

Here’s what you do:

1. Grab your AVRL library card and go to www.valleylibrary.ca

2. Find the search field and type in the title. Don’t know the title? How about the author? Or the series name?

3. Clicking on the search button sends you to our online catalogue. Now it’s time to narrow the search. We can choose to search for title, author, subject, or series. Then, we can narrow our search even more, with a number of drop down menus.

4. Scroll down until you find a title that looks interesting and...

5. Wait! You must be logged in to place that hold! You need your library card number and your PIN. Don’t have a card? Get one here: http://valleylibrary.ca/get-library-card Forgot your PIN? Contact any branch for help.

6. Aha! The hold can now be placed.

7.Choose a pickup location. And that's it!

Now the hard part. Waiting until it’s ready for pick up!

Tips:

• Sharing a computer? Don’t forget to log out!
• Looking for a popular new release? Try a less popular format. Maybe the Large Print version is available. We also have audiobooks and eBooks through our Overdrive for Libraries service. 
• Keep your search simple, then narrow the search. You might see something unexpected and interesting with a broader search. Second, you could be too specific with your search terms and come up with nothing.
• Looking for DVDs? Choose format-DVD. Click the Find button. All the DVDs in our catalogue!
• Suspend holds: Want to watch a TV series in order and season 3 has a shorter waiting list than season 2? Place a suspended hold. You will keep your place in line for the item, but it won’t come to you before you need it. Also great if you are going to be away on vacation. Just suspend your holds until you get back.
• Don’t forget that the Annapolis Valley Regional Library shares our catalogue among 11 branches and the Bookmobile. If a book is in Windsor, we can have it sent to any of our other locations for pick up.
• If we don’t have it, Interlibrary Loans are also available. Separate rules apply.

Get Reading Material in Any Weather

Don’t let poor weather conditions prevent you from getting reading material!

Through our website, www.valleylibrary.ca, you can get lots of reading material without having to get out of your pajamas. 

 Use OverDrive, our downloadable eBook and audiobook service.  Borrow a book and download it to your computer and then put it on your eReader or download it directly to your  phone or tablet using the OverDrive app.  Borrow the book for up to three weeks.  There aren’t any overdue fines or fees because the books are automatically checked in at the end of the loan period.  There are over 12,000 titles to choose from with more added each week.  Many of these titles have multiple copies, so there is sure to be something available for you to read.

 Within OverDrive, under the Featured Collections, you will find the Project Gutenberg Titles.  This collection of over 2600 titles has been made available through the same software as the other OverDrive titles.  These titles don’t expire, so you can keep them on your computer or device as long as you wish.  Unlike the OverDrive titles which can only be used by one person at a time, these titles do not have a limit.

Maybe you would prefer a magazine, we have those too. We currently subscribe to 30 titles from Zinio for Libraries.  Each title has the most current issue, plus more than a year of back issues.  Create a Zinio account, then checkout and read as many issues as you would like.  Use the Zinio app to download your checked out magazines to your tablet or phone.  These do not have a loan period, they don’t expire and won’t disappear from your device until you remove them.  You even have the option of being notified by email when the newest issue of a selected magazine comes out.

 Do you or someone you know have a print disability?  If so, try out NNELS (National Network for Equitable Library Service).  There are over ten thousand titles to choose from, most of which are in audiobook format.  For access, you will need to register for this service specifically with us, we will then change your account profile, then your library card gets you in.  If you use the VoiceDream app (for either Apple or Android) you can use these titles on a tablet or phone.  This app does have a cost.

 Oh, guess what?  This is all FREE with your FREE library card.  If you need some technical help with any of this, let us know, we have that too.

 Charlotte Janes,
Systems and Collections Access Coordinator

Updates coming to OverDrive!!

OverDrive

There are some updates coming soon to OverDrive Read, OverDrive Listen, and the OverDrive app.

OverDrive Read & OverDrive Listen

 
Updated Menu icon with new icons (like Overview and Search) next to it for quick and easy access from the reader.

• Added a new, highly visible bookmark icon to the top-right corner of the screen in OverDrive Read for mobile devices. For OverDrive Listen, the bookmark icon has moved to the top-right corner of the player as well.
• Added a History tab to the menus that will list the places you’ve visited in a book by searching, scrolling, selecting a chapter, or opening a link.
• Renamed the "Assistive" font to "OpenDyslexic."
• Updated the look of the seek bars.

 

 

• Added icons to menu.

OverDrive app

 
The new version coming soon, v3.5, will be speedier and address many issues users have experienced, like the app crashing during download, losing your position in an audiobook, or issues with syncing. The app will natively support larger phone screen sizes (formerly iOS would scale the app to fit) and Apple’s Dynamic Type, a technology that allows visually impaired users to increase the size of the text throughout the app–not just in the eBook reader.

In addition, we’ve made visual upgrades throughout the app, including the Home menu, bookshelf, eBook reader, audiobook player, video player, and Settings menu.

OverDrive Help will be updated to support these releases. Keep an eye out for these updates coming soon.

Charlotte Janes,

Systems and Collections Access Coordinator

 

  
 
 
 

OverDrive Advantage Collection

Our downloadable eBook and audiobook service continues to be very popular.   We hope that you’ll be excited about our new addition to this service.  It’s called OverDrive Advantage.

Our downloadable eBooks and audiobooks is a shared service with seven other Nova Scotia regional public libraries.  The cost of the books is shared by all, with the exception of an Advantage collection.  OverDrive Advantage allows us to purchase additional copies of titles that will be available to only the users of the Annapolis Valley Regional Library.  For titles where we have purchased additional copies AVRL users are basically on two separate lists. Let me explain: For every 8 holds our users have on a title we are purchasing an additional copy for use only by our users.  For example, if there are 16 AVRL holds on a title we will purchase two additional copies.  The shared titles, as our two exclusive copies, will continue to be used by these 16 holds.  An AVRL user could be 40^th in the shared list, but only 7^th in ours. It is set up to get our users a copy as soon as possible.

 

Look for the Advantage symbol on the cover. Make sure you sign in to see all of the titles available, because the advantage titles don’t show up unless you are signed in. We hope that you will see reduced wait times for those popular titles.  

Remember you can check them out for 1 – 3 weeks, and it is all free and without any late fees.  Also, the MP3 audiobooks can now be transferred to a jump drive for use in your car or other player.

Happy reading,

Charlotte Janes, Head of Systems and Administration

"How does this thing work?"

   If you got a tablet or eReader over the holidays and want to know how to load it up with free eBooks from the library, let us show you how!   You can use one of our help sheets found here.

Or send us an email providing the type of device, your library card number and how you can be reached to this address: overdrive@valleylibrary.ca   

   Better yet, call one of our branches to book your personal 1-on-1 help session with one of our tutors. These are free and available until mid-February. Call soon, as these fill-up quickly!

If you already know how to use OverDrive, which is where you will find our eBook and audiobook collection, have a look. We've added lots of new titles to fill your eReader, tablet, or phone. Just visit this link and download titles right away! And don't forget about the Gutenberg Collection, full of classics that are always available and do not count against your checkout limit. 

Did the kids get a new tablet this year?  Or did you get one that you will let them use? Our Youth Services Librarian has some apps to recommend, and lots of resources for finding free and low-cost educational apps. Just visit this link to find all sorts of suggestions.

 We will be offering Tablet Time family workshops in the coming months, so keep an eye out for those. You'll learn how to use apps to help your child develop early literacy skills and get ready for school, plus enjoy books and literacy activities. Coming soon to a library near you!