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

Placing holds using our online catalogue

Maybe you are a new computer user, or perhaps you have never placed your own holds using our on-line catalogue. These basic instructions will help you. Our new catalogue is very user friendly and fun to use. To begin go to our website www.valleylibrary.ca. Remember to make sure you are using an updated browser. Find our more HERE.

Once there, find the empty search box in the upper right hand side. Using your mouse, click on the Catalogue button to highlight it so that you will only be searching our catalogue. Now type a topic in the search box and click on Search.  I have chosen the topic gardening for this exercise. 

Next you will get your search results. For this subject there are 871 titles. You will notice on the right side of this page a box with related topic searches that will be like a shortcut to the information you are looking for.  Or you can have fun scrolling down and through the results to see what we have available. I have chosen flower gardening in the shortcut list.

Now the search has been narrowed to flower gardening and this next page will show you only those results.  Enjoy scrolling through these results. If you see a title that you would like more information on, just click on the blue title. This will take you to a page on this specific title with more information including a look inside. If this isn’t a book you wish to read, click on the Go Back arrow in the burgundy line near the top of this page. 

Keep scrolling through the results until you find an item you would like to borrow. When you do, click on Place Hold.

 On the next screen you will need to enter your Annapolis Valley Regional Library Card number and your PIN number. If you don’t know your PIN please call our office at 902-665-2995 for help. Then you will be asked for a pickup location from the drop down menu. Click on the branch you would like this item sent to for you to pick up. No matter where you are in the Valley, we can send the item to your local branch. Now click on Place Hold. Congratulations! You did it.

Repeat this process for each item that you would like to borrow. A word of wisdom though, this can be addictive and you may find all of your holds arriving at the same time.  Look for another blog at a later date on managing your holds and your account. Make sure that you log out of your account once you have finished placing holds. Simply click on the words Log Out in the upper right hand corner of the screen that will appear to confirm your last placed hold.

Now wasn’t that easy? The item you have placed a hold on will be sent to the branch you chose when it becomes available. Sometimes there is a list of other people waiting for the same book and so you will also need to wait your turn. But at least your name is now on that list.

Welcome to the world of browsing our online catalogue! Look for our new online catalogue within the next few months. The look will be different however; the procedure will be the same.

Submitted by Wendy Kearnes, Outreach Services Manager