Libby issue

[issybird]

Adding insult to injury....

My current Libby audiobook to which I'm listening on a phone is malfunctioning. I've downloaded it and it will play for a while, then cut out. The error message suggests an internet connection issue. I'm not connected when I'm out and about because the phone's not activated, but that shouldn't matter because the book is downloaded. Or at least it never used to.

When this happens, I can "retry", then it will play for a shorter interval and then still shorter, after which it won't load, period. I tried deleting it and redownloading, only for the same thing to happen.

Has anyone else experienced this? I'm hoping it's just this book, because if this is typical I won't be able to listen to Libby books at all. I don't have a smart phone (because I don't feel I need one and why spend the money?).

There was an article in the WaPo earlier this week about how the elderly and the poor are cut off from services they need because they don't have smartphones. Just what we were saying in the Libby rant thread.

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by issybird

Adding insult to injury....

My current Libby audiobook to which I'm listening on a phone is malfunctioning. I've downloaded it and it will play for a while, then cut out. The error message suggests an internet connection issue. I'm not connected when I'm out and about because the phone's not activated, but that shouldn't matter because the book is downloaded. Or at least it never used to.

When this happens, I can "retry", then it will play for a shorter interval and then still shorter, after which it won't load, period. I tried deleting it and redownloading, only for the same thing to happen.

Has anyone else experienced this? I'm hoping it's just this book, because if this is typical I won't be able to listen to Libby books at all. I don't have a smart phone (because I don't feel I need one and why spend the money?).

There was an article in the WaPo earlier this week about how the elderly and the poor are cut off from services they need because they don't have smartphones. Just what we were saying in the Libby rant thread.

Yes! This is happening to me, too! On every audiobook I download to Libby and try to listen to while off-line. And I'm using a smartphone.

It seems Libby/OverDrive wants you online all the time while listening to an audiobook despite their claims that you can download audiobooks and listen while offline.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by odamizu

Yes! This is happening to me, too! On every audiobook I download to Libby and try to listen to while off-line. And I'm using a smartphone.

It seems Libby/OverDrive wants you online all the time while listening to an audiobook despite their claims that you can download audiobooks and listen while offline.

This is not good news.

Unless I'm listening in bed, I only listen to books when I'm out and about, walking or driving. And now, apparently, that will no longer work.

I do appreciate the confirmation. What an absolute travesty in terms of servicing their customers.

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by issybird

This is not good news.

Unless I'm listening in bed, I only listen to books when I'm out and about, walking or driving. And now, apparently, that will no longer work.

I do appreciate the confirmation. What an absolute travesty in terms of servicing their customers.

It is indeed a sad time for library patrons who listen to audiobooks.

[Catlady]

Since Libby's been around for years, shouldn't any bugs have been worked out by now? I wonder what the breakdown was on audiobooks downloaded only to the Libby app vs. audiobooks downloaded to PC.

I have gotten the hang of the workaround and while it's certainly more cumbersome and time-consuming than the simple OverDrive download, it does work.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Since Libby's been around for years, shouldn't any bugs have been worked out by now? I wonder what the breakdown was on audiobooks downloaded only to the Libby app vs. audiobooks downloaded to PC.

I have gotten the hang of the workaround and while it's certainly more cumbersome and time-consuming than the simple OverDrive download, it does work.

Good to know. I have to nerve myself up to giving it a go. The irony for me is that I only used an MP3 player for swimming; the rest of the time I did use the Libby app. Why it's flaking out now -- no change in my device or my habits -- I have no idea.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by issybird

Good to know. I have to nerve myself up to giving it a go. The irony for me is that I only used an MP3 player for swimming; the rest of the time I did use the Libby app. Why it's flaking out now -- no change in my device or my habits -- I have no idea.

That is really odd. Could the phone's OS need an upgrade?

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by Catlady

... I have gotten the hang of the workaround and while it's certainly more cumbersome and time-consuming than the simple OverDrive download, it does work.

I'm concerned that it will look suspicious if one is borrowing audiobooks but never "listening" to them, since Libby and OverDrive's Listen in Browser feature tracks reading progress.

There's a GitHub project where one user's library card is now blocked on Libby after using the python program.

(Also, this forced tracking of reading progress seems contrary to most libraries' privacy policies, no?)

[JSWolf]

I've not have any issue with audiobooks downloaded to the Libby app. But the last time I listened to a downloaded eBook from the Libby app was before the removal of downloadable MP3 audiobooks.

I'll give it another go and see how I get on.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by odamizu

I'm concerned that it will look suspicious if one is borrowing audiobooks but never "listening" to them, since Libby and OverDrive's Listen in Browser feature tracks reading progress.

There's a GitHub project where one user's library card is now blocked on Libby after using the python program.

(Also, this forced tracking of reading progress seems contrary to most libraries' privacy policies, no?)

Well, I never officially listened to any of the audiobooks I borrowed before, either; they were downloaded to my PC and transferred to my mp3 player. I'm no doing anything I wasn't doing before; Libby has just made the download more difficult.

[foosion]

How does one download an audiobook, either through the website or the app?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by foosion

How does one download an audiobook, either through the website or the app?

Read this...

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...69#post4470369

[foosion]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Read this...

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...69#post4470369

Overdrive installer: http://app.overdrive.com/downloads/O...nsoleSetup.msi

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Well, I never officially listened to any of the audiobooks I borrowed before, either; they were downloaded to my PC and transferred to my mp3 player. I'm no doing anything I wasn't doing before; Libby has just made the download more difficult.

When you previously downloaded to your PC and transferred to an mp3 player, you were using OverDrive for PC, which was a sanctioned method of listening to library audiobooks. OverDrive would then have a record of you downloading the .odm file and using it to download the mp3 files using Overdrive for PC, where you can then legitimately transfer to an mp3 player, all with their blessing.

But now, the only way to listen to an audiobook is via the Libby app or browser, both of which they are tracking under "Reading Journey", where they show you how much of the book you've listened to and how many minutes you've listened.

If you borrow an audiobook and never listen to it (i.e., zero minutes or maybe 1-2 minutes in your "Reading Journey"), won't that look suspicious? They'll know that either you're finding an unsanctioned way to download and listen to the audiobook, or you're just borrowing audiobooks willy-nilly and never listening to them.

As I mentioned, there is a GitHub project where one person who was downloading audiobooks in an unsanctioned manner had their library card blocked and now they can't access Libby.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by odamizu

When you previously downloaded to your PC and transferred to an mp3 player, you were using OverDrive for PC, which was a sanctioned method of listening to library audiobooks. OverDrive would then have a record of you downloading the .odm file and using it to download the mp3 files using Overdrive for PC, where you can then legitimately transfer to an mp3 player, all with their blessing.

But now, the only way to listen to an audiobook is via the Libby app or browser, both of which they are tracking under "Reading Journey", where they show you how much of the book you've listened to and how many minutes you've listened.

If you borrow an audiobook and never listen to it (i.e., zero minutes or maybe 1-2 minutes in your "Reading Journey"), won't that look suspicious? They'll know that either you're finding an unsanctioned way to download and listen to the audiobook, or you're just borrowing audiobooks willy-nilly and never listening to them.

As I mentioned, there is a GitHub project where one person who was downloading audiobooks in an unsanctioned manner had their library card blocked and now they can't access Libby.

Using a program to download the audiobooks seems quite a bit different than an individual user downloading an occasional book. How many books would someone need to borrow, download, and return to be noted for suspicious activity, I wonder.