Overdrive Redesign

[issybird]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

Why do you say that? At the worst, why wouldn't it expire like any other book on the bookshelf?

I've let books auto-checkout, but not gotten to them that first day. The number of days before expiration has been reduced by that day I missed (so instead of my standard default of 7, it showed 6 days, like any book I manually checked out the day before).

What I understand Jon to mean is that some percentage of holds expired without the book getting checked out, thus going to the next person on the list after a few days (each library determines its own waiting period).

[eschwartz]

Auto-checkout makes the book available up to a day or two sooner. (Because the expiration is dated from the moment it is available, rather than when you go to redeem it.)

A brilliant default!

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by issybird

What I understand Jon to mean is that some percentage of holds expired without the book getting checked out, thus going to the next person on the list after a few days (each library determines its own waiting period).

It can't be, because no one would ever do such a reprehensible thing.

It aint true, I tell ya!!!

[FizzyWater]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

The assumption is that everybody returns the books before the 7 or whichever your default is. But if they do out of curtesy to make others wait shorter, than the auto checkout takes longer anyway. Not everybody wants to hurry through a book or has the time to do so, so it doesn't really matter that much does it?

I wish. I belong to a few Overdrive Libraries. There's one where I swear everyone must leave it at the default 21 days and never returns anything early. The wait times on that site are ridiculous! It's not true on the others, so I always wonder if that's a sign that the two (larger ones) are doing a better job of training their users on all the features.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

I wish. I belong to a few Overdrive Libraries. There's one where I swear everyone must leave it at the default 21 days and never returns anything early. The wait times on that site are ridiculous! It's not true on the others, so I always wonder if that's a sign that the two (larger ones) are doing a better job of training their users on all the features.

Of the libraries I use routinely, I usually find that the library with the smallest collection ends up having the shortest wait times. Not always, but most of the time. It's the primary reason why I continue to use it. BTW, all of these libraries have 7-14-21 day checkouts.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

Why do you say that? At the worst, why wouldn't it expire like any other book on the bookshelf?

I've let books auto-checkout, but not gotten to them that first day. The number of days before expiration has been reduced by that day I missed (so instead of my standard default of 7, it showed 6 days, like any book I manually checked out the day before).

Let's say you have 2 days to checkout an eBook from your library (yes, some are only 2 days). You miss checking it out in those two days, it goes to the next person in line. Auto checkout, you are set for 14 or 21 days and you miss it for 2 days, it doesn't go to the next person in line and sits in your bookself doing nothing for nobody taking longer to the next person because of auto checkout.

[JSWolf]

When I go on vacation in October, I'll be using the hold feature. That is going to be very useful.

[FizzyWater]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Let's say you have 2 days to checkout an eBook from your library (yes, some are only 2 days). You miss checking it out in those two days, it goes to the next person in line. Auto checkout, you are set for 14 or 21 days and you miss it for 2 days, it doesn't go to the next person in line and sits in your bookself doing nothing for nobody taking longer to the next person because of auto checkout.

So you're assuming if they don't pick it up in the 2-4 day period (with auto checkout set to OFF), they wouldn't want to read it at all? I can see if they just forgot it, it would be frustrating. But I know I've missed the occasional one because of late nights at work and I would rather have had the option to auto checkout so it was there and I just had to make sure I read it faster (I have my defaults set as 7 days - if it takes me longer than that to read a book, usually it means it can't grab my interest!)

But I wasn't thinking about folks who just forgot about them....so now I get your point.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

So you're assuming if they don't pick it up in the 2-4 day period (with auto checkout set to OFF), they wouldn't want to read it at all? I can see if they just forgot it, it would be frustrating. But I know I've missed the occasional one because of late nights at work and I would rather have had the option to auto checkout so it was there and I just had to make sure I read it faster (I have my defaults set as 7 days - if it takes me longer than that to read a book, usually it means it can't grab my interest!)

But I wasn't thinking about folks who just forgot about them....so now I get your point.

Also, another issue is that a lot of libraries allow 5-10 checkouts. With auto checkout It's also possible for the the bookshelf to be filled with books that might not be read. So there again, we have book sitting in someone's bookshelf that should not be there for the full borrow period (14-21 days in most cases). Most people would not remove them thinking that if they get to them, they can then read them. But we know better and eBook management should be a more manual task.

[FizzyWater]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Also, another issue is that a lot of libraries allow 5-10 checkouts.

One of my Overdrive libraries actually allows 50 checkouts - it amazed me when that switched from 10 to 50.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

One of my Overdrive libraries actually allows 50 checkouts - it amazed me when that switched from 10 to 50.

50 checkouts is a heck of a lot. I cannot see the need for 50 even with an average family all reading/

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

50 checkouts is a heck of a lot. I cannot see the need for 50 even with an average family all reading/

That would assume 50 novel sized books. OverDrive has audiobooks, music, and movies as well. If you are doing some kind of research and you don't intend to read every book entirely, I can see how more than 5 or 10 checkouts could be useful.

[FizzyWater]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

That would assume 50 novel sized books. OverDrive has audiobooks, music, and movies as well. If you are doing some kind of research and you don't intend to read every book entirely, I can see how more than 5 or 10 checkouts could be useful.

I wondered if it had to do with the increase in children's books being made available. Back in the days when I borrowed print books from the library, I would sometimes see parents in the checkout line with what could have been 50 childrens books in a stack.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

I wondered if it had to do with the increase in children's books being made available. Back in the days when I borrowed print books from the library, I would sometimes see parents in the checkout line with what could have been 50 childrens books in a stack.

That is possible as well. More than likely the kids have their own card, and the parents are just using them for more checkouts. My own library lets kids have a card soon as they turn 2, some libraries have no age limit at all.

[eschwartz]

I dunno, I'm just grateful Queens has what amounts to unlimited checkouts!

It would be more useful if they hadn't ditched OverDrive for Axis360.