3M Announces Cloud Library Ebook Lending

[rogue_librarian]

Originally Posted by Dulin's Books

If someone is already there and they want to have a go at this ebook thing they see options right there to try. how is that bad?

It's not, of course. It's just a problem if physical presence at the library is mandatory, i.e. no borrowing over the internet. And that's not as ridiculous as it sounds, similar schemes have been proposed in the UK and possible elsewhere as well, far as I remember.

as for why a library would go with this system? it seems many libraries already use 3m systems.

I was specifically talking about the proprietary aspect of the scheme, requiring custom hardware etc. If they are just competing with Overdrive, i.e. regular ADE-DRM epubs, more power to them. Some competition certainly can't hurt.

[Andrew H.]

Unfortunately, as abookreader and others have suggested, it looks like the only eink device this will work on is 3M's device. The press release is vague, but I'm pretty sure that by "nook", they only mean the nook color.

[Dulin's Books]

Originally Posted by Andrew H.

it looks like the only eink device this will work on is 3M's device.

that's not the case

The ebooks available under the 3M system would follow the one book/one user model, and use the EPUB format as well as Adobe digital rights management (DRM), as OverDrive's ebooks do.

link

[AZdave]

Originally Posted by Dulin's Books

that's not the case




link

Originally Posted by link

For example, at an LJ-led panel at the Tools of Change conference earlier this year, librarian Katie Dunneback (@younglibrarian on Twitter) of East Central Library Services, IA, pointed out that it took nearly two dozen steps to download an OverDrive ebook and transfer it to a device.

Jee only two dozen steps. That is real user friendly!

[Andrew H.]

Originally Posted by Dulin's Books

that's not the case




link

I don't see anything in the link demonstrating that it can be read on an e-ink reader.

The ebooks available under the 3M system would follow the one book/one user model, and use the EPUB format as well as Adobe digital rights management (DRM), as OverDrive's ebooks do. They would be readable on the iPad, iPhone, Barnes and Noble's Nook, laptop and desktop computers, and Android devices, among other equipment.

[Dulin's Books]

The ebooks available under the 3M system would follow the one book/one user model, and use the EPUB format as well as Adobe digital rights management (DRM), as OverDrive's ebooks do. They would be readable on the iPad, iPhone, Barnes and Noble's Nook, laptop and desktop computers, and Android devices, among other equipment.

the content would also be able to be browsed and downloaded online, and via 3M apps.

so any ereader that supports epub with Adobe DRM. you'll be able to download them and use ADE to push them to your reader just as with overdrive library lending currently

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by Andrew H.

I don't see anything in the link demonstrating that it can be read on an e-ink reader.

Maybe they are just using 'Nook' as shorthand for 'eInk reader that isn't a Kindle'.

[odiakkoh]

Originally Posted by AZdave

Jee only two dozen steps. That is real user friendly!

When do they start counting? If you already have the book you want in front of you (and its available) i cant think of more than 5 or 6 clicks (or steps) needed to download onto the pc then transfer to an ereader.

[elcreative]

Probably from the first click at initial sign up... means you can come up with a silly number of clicks to make your stuff look good...

Originally Posted by odiakkoh

When do they start counting? If you already have the book you want in front of you (and its available) i cant think of more than 5 or 6 clicks (or steps) needed to download onto the pc then transfer to an ereader.

[Dulin's Books]

Nate to the rescue http://www.the-digital-reader.com/20...-reader-giant/ It seems 3M is the largest owner of TXTR so that could be where the hardware comes from and their ebook store/delivery platform is probably the basis for the lending library

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Dulin's Books

link

Well, if it's going to work on my Sony and exclude the Kindle, we have to be all for it.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by AZdave

Jee only two dozen steps. That is real user friendly!

No, that's just a poor user. It takes a lot less steps to go from overdrive to my Reader.

Let's see, once you select the book you want, you add it to your select list and maybe have to login. Then you agree you want it. You download the ACSM file and let ADE open it. ADE does it's thing and then you have the eBook in ADE. From there I can use ADE or Reader Library or Calibre to move it to my Sony. 24 steps is a poor user.

[stormcloude]

What I find interesting is that they say they're going to be carrying Random House ebooks. Wasn't Random House one of the big publishers keeping their books out of libraries? Are they now trying to capitalize on the niche HarperCollins left open? Get some good PR at the expense of a competitor?

[Fbone]

It's nice that 3M will provide ereaders as well as a in-house computer/terminal for patrons who don't have either at home.

Perhaps, with the price increases Overdrive have announced 3M saw a market for a competing service.

[Sil_liS]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

No, that's just a poor user. It takes a lot less steps to go from overdrive to my Reader.

Let's see, once you select the book you want, you add it to your select list and maybe have to login. Then you agree you want it. You download the ACSM file and let ADE open it. ADE does it's thing and then you have the eBook in ADE. From there I can use ADE or Reader Library or Calibre to move it to my Sony. 24 steps is a poor user.

It might depend what is used to make the download. According to this the biggest number of steps comes into play if you are using Firefox 2.0... to get audiobooks (and remember that the almost 2 dozen steps comment came from a librarian, and libraries don't usually have their software up to date). You get 4 steps with the console, another 12 with Firefox, and if you start counting from the moment when you start looking for the book, you might get close to 24.