New Search Page for Overdrive?

Loosheesh · 11-25-2013, 06:26 PM

Is this Overdrive's new search page? If it is, I'd like to take the heads of the persons who designed it and knock them together ... repeatedly. That is all.

desertgrandma · 11-25-2013, 08:00 PM

Holy Crap. I had overdrive on my favorites bar, and thats the site I came up with.

Seems it no longer lists all libraries a particular book is available at....

You'll have to get in line behind me, Loosheesh. Mega-Ugly. ( the site, that is, not you!! :-))

abqkjh · 11-25-2013, 08:12 PM

Yuck, I don't like it either. However, you can still find out the libraries it is available from (from which it is available - for you grammarians).

Type something into the box; select the book you want; and then click the "Find in a Library" button under the cover image on the left. It will pull up list. (Apparently it lists every individual library rather than just the system, which is unnecessary and annoying.)

eschwartz · 11-25-2013, 08:18 PM

If I want to know what is available at OverDrive libraries, I use the OverDrive Link plugin for calibre, which also saves a list of available books.

It has been switched to use individual libraries for searching, since the change is more invasive than you thought:

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhowell

The earlier versions of the plugin worked by using search.overdrive.com to detect books, which were then checked for availability at individual libraries. This could detect books that are known to Overdrive, but could not determine whether they were available for purchase by a particular library.

There were some problems using search.overdrive.com in the plugin. It is fairly slow and newly available books do not show up there immediately. I also came across several books that the search would consistently fail to locate, even though I knew they were available on Overdrive.

Since version 1.7.0 the plugin no longer uses search.overdrive.com, but instead performs all searches at individual libraries. It uses the advanced search option "Additional titles to recommend" when available at individual Overdrive library sites to find books that can be recommended for acquisition. I don't know how Overdrive determines which books appear for this search type, but I know that the results are different for different libraries.

It is totally automated and thus awesome in every way.

It even lets you search for books that can be recommended at libraries that support recommendation, which is awesome!

mycurlylocks · 11-27-2013, 02:36 PM

I thought I had the wrong page at first. What a nightmare it is now.
I don't want to look at tiles, I want lists. I don't want to see each libraries name, I should be able to select by state first and then filter the results.

This is not more tablet friendly either, which will be their excuse for the change.

LH07 · 11-27-2013, 04:57 PM

Mine hasn't changed am I looking in the wrong place

eschwartz · 11-27-2013, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LH07

Mine hasn't changed am I looking in the wrong place

The main search at http://search.overdrive.com is what changed. The actual library frontends for your local library is much better.

JSWolf · 11-27-2013, 08:05 PM

The classic search page has been removed.

JSWolf · 11-30-2013, 06:48 PM

I was just trying to use the new Overdrive search and it's garbage (being kind). I hope someone at Overdrive is reading this and can find out who authorized this abomination so he/she can be fired.

PUT BACK THE PREVIOUS SEARCH SITE!

Loosheesh · 12-03-2013, 05:43 PM

OverDrive Search gets a makeover

When they tweeted the link, they called it an upgrade

SteveEisenberg · 12-03-2013, 09:14 PM

On the previous Overdrive-going-to-the-dogs thread, I tried to defend them, but this is indeed unfortunate.

Who are they trying to impress? Publishers? Librarians? Themselves?

Not being conspiratorial minded I suppose it is what they say -- that they are trying to stay current with the move towards small tablets and smartphones. But I still like the model of picking out books on my PC and reading them on an eInk device.

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

The actual library frontends for your local library is much better.

The reason to use search.overdrive.com is that you have multiple library cards, as happens in states like Pennsylvania and New York where local libraries often give card to residents anywhere in the state -- or if you have purchased out of area cards.

eschwartz · 12-04-2013, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

The actual library frontends for your local library is much better.

The reason to use search.overdrive.com is that you have multiple library cards, as happens in states like Pennsylvania and New York where local libraries often give card to residents anywhere in the state -- or if you have purchased out of area cards.

Please don't misquote me. What I said was

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

The main search at http://search.overdrive.com is what changed. The actual library frontends for your local library is much better.

I was responding to someone who said they didn't notice any change on their library's website.

That being said, my favorite search frontend for overdrive is the overdrive link plugin for calibre. It searches all configured libraries, shows you all books by the author you searched, listing title, author, series, and links to available libraries, even listing the ones where it can be recommended, and saves the results for future reference!!

John Howell is officially my hero!

srand_us · 12-07-2013, 10:51 AM

Where can I find this Overdrive link plug in for Calibre?

Personally, I detest Overdrive. Using it has convinced me that eBooks are going out of style. Under their category "History" are 26 books. It must be a real money-saver, though: I have cards at 3 libraries in 3 different states and they all use it. The "interlibrary loan" feature (where it exists) looks so cumbersome and complex I have not tried it.

I like Calibre, but it's sporadic for me: sometimes it sends books to my Kindle and sometimes it won't. I'll keep working with it.

Thanks for any help?

Gunnerp245 · 12-07-2013, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by srand_us

Where can I find this Overdrive link plug in for Calibre? Thanks for any help?

[GUI PLUGIN]Overdrive Link - Version 1.8.0

nynaevelan · 12-08-2013, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

If I want to know what is available at OverDrive libraries, I use the OverDrive Link plugin for calibre, which also saves a list of available books.

It has been switched to use individual libraries for searching, since the change is more invasive than you thought:

It is totally automated and thus awesome in every way.

It even lets you search for books that can be recommended at libraries that support recommendation, which is awesome!

Eschwartz: I have never used this feature but I would like to investigate it, how do I go about using this feature? Where are the discovered books listed??

EDIT:Never mind I found it, I guess that is what I get for posting without looking for a help file.

11-25-2013, 06:26 PM	#1
Loosheesh Wizard Posts: 1,680 Karma: 3137505 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Jianghu Device: PW1, PW5, iPhone SE 2016, iPhone 13 Pro, iPad Pro 9.7, iPad Pro 2021	New Search Page for Overdrive? Is this Overdrive's new search page? If it is, I'd like to take the heads of the persons who designed it and knock them together ... repeatedly. That is all.

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11-25-2013, 08:00 PM	#2
desertgrandma Enjoying the show.... Posts: 14,270 Karma: 10462843 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Arizona Device: A K1, Kindle Paperwhite, an Ipod, IPad2, Iphone, an Ipad Mini & macAir	Holy Crap. I had overdrive on my favorites bar, and thats the site I came up with. Seems it no longer lists all libraries a particular book is available at.... You'll have to get in line behind me, Loosheesh. Mega-Ugly. ( the site, that is, not you!! :-))

11-25-2013, 08:12 PM	#3
abqkjh Zealot Posts: 147 Karma: 1502780 Join Date: Mar 2013 Device: Moto e5	Yuck, I don't like it either. However, you can still find out the libraries it is available from (from which it is available - for you grammarians). Type something into the box; select the book you want; and then click the "Find in a Library" button under the cover image on the left. It will pull up list. (Apparently it lists every individual library rather than just the system, which is unnecessary and annoying.)

11-27-2013, 02:36 PM	#5
mycurlylocks Addict Posts: 239 Karma: 1455315 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: US Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2	I thought I had the wrong page at first. What a nightmare it is now. I don't want to look at tiles, I want lists. I don't want to see each libraries name, I should be able to select by state first and then filter the results. This is not more tablet friendly either, which will be their excuse for the change.

11-27-2013, 04:57 PM	#6
LH07 Enthusiast Posts: 49 Karma: 475578 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: android tablet	Mine hasn't changed am I looking in the wrong place

11-27-2013, 08:05 PM	#8
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,745 Karma: 145864619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	The classic search page has been removed.

11-30-2013, 06:48 PM	#9
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,745 Karma: 145864619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I was just trying to use the new Overdrive search and it's garbage (being kind). I hope someone at Overdrive is reading this and can find out who authorized this abomination so he/she can be fired. PUT BACK THE PREVIOUS SEARCH SITE!

12-03-2013, 05:43 PM	#10
Loosheesh Wizard Posts: 1,680 Karma: 3137505 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Jianghu Device: PW1, PW5, iPhone SE 2016, iPhone 13 Pro, iPad Pro 9.7, iPad Pro 2021	OverDrive Search gets a makeover When they tweeted the link, they called it an upgrade

12-07-2013, 10:51 AM	#13
srand_us Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2013 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	Where can I find this Overdrive link plug in for Calibre? Personally, I detest Overdrive. Using it has convinced me that eBooks are going out of style. Under their category "History" are 26 books. It must be a real money-saver, though: I have cards at 3 libraries in 3 different states and they all use it. The "interlibrary loan" feature (where it exists) looks so cumbersome and complex I have not tried it. I like Calibre, but it's sporadic for me: sometimes it sends books to my Kindle and sometimes it won't. I'll keep working with it. Thanks for any help?