RSS FeedNook? Kindle? OverDrive!
We’re on record through numerous posts as being big fans of the DC Public Library (and librarians in general). We’ve talked about the collection, audio books for MP3 players, even the occasional spring blue bird. This post is more of the same, prompted by a recent article in the Wall Street Journal. In that article they note that the OverDrive software which has powered audio books, movies, music, and ebooks downloaded from the public library now has a smartphone app (iPhone & Android).
We decided to give it a try and downloaded the free OverDrive app for our iPhone. The app allows you to associate your phone with various public libraries, we of course chose our very own DC Public. The setup is a little tricky requiring an Adobe ID for any eBooks (also free) and then bouncing you between the app and OverDrive website. But once you have downloaded both an audio book and ebook successfully the setup makes more sense. In just a few minutes we were skimming through Seth Grahame-Smith’s Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (a favorite of Mrs Columbo).
It’s easy and very cool. We’re not big on the idea of reading a novel on our iPhone, but you can see the direction these things are moving. Back in early 2007 you could only download audio books for your for Windows DRM device. Then in late 2007 they added movies, music and ebooks. In mid-2008 they started offering DRM free downloads that could be used on your non-Windows device. Right now it’s no real threat to the Amazon and other ebook vendors, but one day it might be.
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Comments
Annoying thing about most of the Overdrive MP3s is that you can’t download them directly to the iPhone from the iPhone; instead, you have to download them onto a computer and transfer them over.
I do hope library downloads become Kindle and Nook compatible. Since most of my books come from the library, the biggest thing that’s prevented me from buying one of these devices is not being able to borrow books for free.
C– check out the iPhone app. No computer middleman required. Items (both ebooks and audio files) download directy to your device.
Or are you saying most audio files are now downloadable through the app? I haven’t notice that but it could be the case.
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OverDrive had a demo van parked in the Old Convention Center parking lot last summer showing off their technologies which I checked out for an hour. pretty cool stuff that the DCPL is using.